


Importance of memories

by chocolate_crisps



Series: Memory lake [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Angst, Character Development, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Komahina (onesided), Kuzupeko - Freeform, M/M, Post-SIDE:HOPE, Slow To Update, feels train(?)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2018-09-17 07:51:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 66,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9312329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocolate_crisps/pseuds/chocolate_crisps
Summary: Ten years has pasted since the last killing game got stopped. The world has slowly start getting back to normal and 77th class is leading their lives together on the Jabberwock Island in peace and chaos simultaneously. Some new friendship bonded, some love discovered, some of them grew up, some on the other hand didn't change much.But one day their peaceful days were interrupted by a sudden news that none of them expected - even Kamukura Izuru. Now that Komaeda had to deal with it he goes for a trip through his memories to understand his feelings. But what would he do if his unexpected sidekick didn't stick her nose into it? Will he be able to for once get a clear look at them? And why is Hinata so important figure for him? Will the end of his journey be sweet like Saionji's candies or bitter like Mitarai's coffee? Or maybe neither?





	1. Prologue

_Files. How funny. It always starts with files_.

That was the thought that occupied Komaeda Nagito's minds as he was laying down in his bed. Maybe his brain was a bit, well not a bit, rather a lot destroyed but still seemed to work well enough to connect things.

_Everything important, every big event in that life of mine was always followed by a files. Of course, it wasn’t always the same files but nonetheless, there were always involved a papers of some sort. Well, papers and luck to honest. But my luck has lowered in this last 10 years..._

Komaeda opened out window placed next to his side, closed his eyes and breathed into his lugs some of a salty, tropical air. This reminded him about time when he had just woken up from a Neo World Program. When he went to the beach at night, sat on a sand and did nothing - unless watching waves and thinking was nothing, that’s it. At least until _that_ person came to talk with him.

_Or maybe run out and this situation is a result of it? Either way, I don’t care anymore._

He opened up his eyes and looked at the blue sky. The sun still far from reaching its peak _._

_After all, I’m going to die rather soon._

  
~~

  
Their morning started rather normally. Everyone of his classmates went somewhere to carry out at least some of assigned them task. Their plan to make hotel useful again in five years soon will reach deadline and most buildings still weren’t ready. Komaeda, together with Hinata, was trying to repair some of a wooden track, which got accidentally destroyed yesterday.

_("Nagito-chan! Nagito-chan! " Shouted Mioda, holding out guitar in her hands. "Look, this one can’t be broken! No matter how much Ibuki throws it around" The girl started flapping around with an instrument, smacking some branches and leaves with it. "Nothing happens! It's MIFRABULOUS!"_

_"What the heck this one means?" Muttered Kuzuryuu not even for a second stopping building a sand castle with one of his daughter, while the other one was sleeping nearby._

_"Uncle Komaeda! Papa speaking bad again!" yelled younger girl. For a moment she forgot about her castle and destroyed accidentally one of its towers with a quick snap of her head and one of her blonde braids._

_"Natsumi!"_

_"Kuzuryuu-kun! I know that Mioda-san’s guitar is amazing but you should watch for your tongue when your children are nearby!" scolded Komaeda. "No one wants them to pick up your habit of cursing every three sentences this early!"_

_"What's that supposed to mean?! And I don’t curse every three sentences!" Kuzuryuu truly was looking out for his tongue this time and, with giant effort, skipped all the curses he wanted to add._

_"Aunt Ibuki! Aunt Ibuki!" yelled Natsumi, all her attention directed on a ex-SHSL K-on "How do you know it won’t broke?"_

_"Wah! Natsumi-chan! What a great question! Let me" Mioda took the guitar in question above head "SHOW YA!" and smashed it on the ground._

_Well, guitar didn’t took damage - that part of Mioda's words were true. In exchange the wooden tray that led to the quay got destroyed. After this performance beach fell dead silent, except for the other Kuzuryuu girl snoring._

_"…Shit…Whose going to say it to Hinata?")_

  
"I still can’t believe it." Said Hinata, taking another nail and setting it on a board. "How could you think it was a GREAT IDEA to throw a FREAKING GUITAR on NEW-WOODEN-DECKING-BOARDS." Irritation in Hinata voice almost riched the level of salt in the ocean behind them. Almost. Most of it he directed at the nails, emphasizing some of words as he hit them.

"I’m sorry, Hinata-kun." apologized Komaeda holding board from the other side so it wouldn't slip. "It just somehow…happened."

"Like everything when you, Mioda or both of you are _somehow_ involved." Hinata sighted deeply and for a second stopped hammering nails. "It’s so predictable that it’s almost boring."

"Don’t forget about little Kuzuryuus, Hinata-kun! They can also make some unpredictable things."

"Komaeda, I hope you know that there _is_  a difference between steeling Hanamura cake and destroying island."

"That’s mean, Hinata- kun." Komaeda pouted like a child for not so subtle innuendo. Hinata noted that he resembles Kuzuryuu's daughters when he does it and pondered if it was Komaeda's tic or if he picked it up from the twins. "We didn’t destroyed the island."

"Yet." Hinata looked at his friend, while his hand was flipping hammer around like a director's baton. "Do I have to remind you that we're a three months behind schedule?!"

"Hinata!" new voice yelled for him from afar.

Called boy looked behind his arm, while Komaeda shifted to a side to get a better glimpse of Souda running in their direction.

"The ships came! We finally have new materials!" Announced happily mechanic as he stopped by them. Too happily, in Komaeda's opinion "What happened here?" added Souda as he spotted the remains of Mioda's guitar endurance test.

"Haha… " Komaeda laughed nervously, while Hinata growled irritated.

"…Forget it, I don’t wanna ‘now. The thing is - the ships came and there is this ton of files and I can’t find Kuzuryuu or Miss Sonia anywhere. So…Have you seen her by any chance?"

Both boys sighed in unison. Neither of them needed Kamukura Izuru annalistic abilities to know that Souda would use any opportunity to talk with Sonia, even when everyone knew it was futile. But truth be told, whene they were given a supplies it was either Hinata, Kuzuryu or Sonia job to take care of all the documents that came with it.

"I’ll go. No need to look for her." Said Hinata as put his tools down and started to get on his feet.

"No, I’ll go." offered Komaeda, getting up soon after. "Hinata-kun is tired and needs some rest. Souda-kun'll fix these things here and I’ll take care of the files."

"What…wait…" started Souda, looking from his heterochromatic one to albino like white one friend, as if he was on a spectacular match of tennis.

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked politely, while he _totally doesn’t thought_ about taking nap in his cottage and how the sheets there were soft.

"I’m kind of good with documents. You should know it, Hinata-kun."

"Wait…Why are you two…"

"Ah, then I have no choice it seems. Komaeda, take care of our supplies. Souda, here are nails." Hinata pressed tools in Souda's hands and went in the direction of docks with Komaeda humming by his side.

"What…hey! Don’t ignore me like that!" Screamed irritated mechanic as he watched the back of his friends fading away. "Jeez, just like a married couple or something. Like if one wasn’t enough. Well as long as the other one is me and Miss Sonia, I don’t mind!"

"Gross." Snorted Saionji as she pass him, caring flowers seedling.

"Men up and get back to work." Added Koizumi, dragging other gardening equipment.

~~

Komaeda walked side by side with Hinata steeling unnoticeable glances at his face - or at least he hopped that they went unnoticed. He really liked his friend's eyes and was using almost every opportunity to gaze at them. There were, not many, moments when he through that he's acting a bit like Souda but he would quickly brushed them aside. Hinata however, for current moment was thinking how nice it’ll be to finally catch some sleep so he would ignore most of his surrounding.

Last night he had to made a checkups for his-but-at-the-same-time-not-his-classmates and analyze them. He haven’t, of course, finished this task because first - Kuzuryuu asked him out for drink, second – Mioda and one of the twins questioned him for an hour about guitars endurance, third – Tanaka showed up and insisted on rematch of their last drinking contest. Hinata wanted to refuse, but Kuzuryuu was so eager about participating in it that he couldn’t even utter a simple  _no_. And when his consciousness started to fade due to alcohol Komaeda showed up with a Mioda’s guitar saying that they have a problem and he had to came up with an idea of what to destroy, because "they doesn’t have enough wood" and "they haven’t thought about ordering it the last time.”

"Nagito-chan! _HELLO!_ Hello to you to, Hajime-chan! _Hello!_ " Yelled cheerfully Mioda as she approached them while carrying a tray with two glasses of ice tea that were dangerously shaking. Somehow she pulled one of her hand up and high fived with Komaeda’s artificial one.

"Ibuki felt AWFUL because of that tray! So she went to kitchen and asked Teruteru-chan for some ice tea for you guys. Here for you, Hajime-chan! This one is salty, specially for you Nagito-chan!" Explained Mioda using her accusing finger to point at the cups.

"Thanks." Mumbled Hinata taking his glass, his eyelids half-lowered.

"Thank you, Mioda-san." Said Komaeda with a smile.

"Anything for Ibuki’s _G-friend_! And for you, Hajime-chan! But especially for _G AND L FRIENDS_!" Announced musician without realizing how much her usage of English at the end of sentence made Hinata cringed.

"The same for my _L-friend_." Affirmed her Komaeda as he made a special hand-shake with Mioda, this time using his real hand.

"I still can’t believe that you two are so close." Commented Hinata when they ended waving hands around. Komaeda only chuckled in response, while Mioda smiled wildly. Yes, he’ll never understand how that one happened.

"Wanna go back with us to the main island?" Komaeda asked politely his new come friend.

"Can Ibuki? She came here with Mahiru-chan and Hiyoko-chan and ALL that gardening stuff, but she forgot that she can’t use that boats! Oupsie!"

"I don’t see why not. Unless you try to destroy a boat…again." Hinata sighted painfully as one of memories played in his mind.

"Objection! Ibuki has never destroyed any of your lovely boats, Hajime-chan!"

"The naming incident?" Suggested Hinata, coxing one of his eyebrows.

"AH! Ibuki TOTALLY forgot about that! And it was TOTALLY a guitar fault - not Ibuki!"

"Mioda-san, may I remind you that you where the one that threw a guitar at the boats sides? Especially after I and Sonia-san told you to use bottles?" reminded Komaeda with one of his hand waving casually.

"But bottles are BORING~, Nagito-chan!"

"Ehm..." Mioda and Komaeda looked at Hinata at the exactly same time. For a moment they felt Kamukura inside him more alive than the other times.

Normally, until Hinata used one of his talent (and even then it didn’t lasted for longer than minute or minute and half), really big and long lasted outburst (mainly twins or Mioda's fault) would start or he was simply exhausted, Kamukura Izuru wouldn't manifest.

"Boring, you say?"

"Ibuki wants back! Like now! And Nagito-chan too! Right Nagito-chan?"

"If Hinata-kun wants it, then I don’t mind. Plus, it would really help if I took care of those files immediately."

"Oh, files. Right. Those boring files." Hinata made a painful noise and looked gratefully at Komaeda. His heterochromatic eyes softened. "Thanks for doing it."

"Anything for Hinata-Kun."

"Ibuki ships it! And her ship is gonna ride on ship! Shipcepcion!"

Hinata looked like he wanted to say something more but bite his tongue at the last moment. Instead of he just groaned and went simply went to the boat, without looking if the rest is following him. He doesn’t have to through - if his prediction were right, they are going to shout in 3,2,1 …

"Hinata-kun! Don’t get angry on Mioda-san because of my incompetence! Don’t leave us here!" begged Komaeda.

Hinata was sure the luckster didn’t bunch a centimeter and kept Mioda’s mouth covered with his hand so she won’t say anything stupid again - even if Komaeda have no idea what could have upset Hinata.

"I’m just a worthless piece of trash after all! You don’t have to listen to my words! I’ll eat dirt of your floor and let you punch me as many times as you want!"

_There it is. Self-deprecating again. Some habits die-hard it seems_. Even if that was what Hinata thought, he smiled. Komaeda stopped with comments like this eight years ago and they came back only when he started to think that Hinata might hate him.

Hinata turned around to see that he was half right. Mioda covered her mouth out of her own will, while Komaeda looked at him scarred and tugging at his own hair with one hand. Right, Hinata forgot that humans are harder to predict when they act on a strong emotions. The Kamukura part of his brain made him smile a bit again.

  
"Just be quiet and don’t destroy anything."

"Hinata-kun!" Komaeda jumped at Hinata's back and put his arms around Hinata’s neck. The slightly shorten boy shook a bit when he felt cold metal of a prosthetic on his artery.

"Thank you! You are really kind, Hinata-kun!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just shut up already." Hinata moved his head to the side, hiding tiny blush that marked his face.

"Thanks for the meal." Said dreamily Mioda as she tugged beside them. Even without Kamukura's abilities Hinata could swear she was drooling.

  
This would be a normal morning for all the members of 77th class, if this one thing didn’t happen. That was the accident that no one - even Kamukura Izuru - predicted.

  
_It was almost like getting shoot by an arrow, like jumping into a cold water in the middle of summer. Something like a bolt went through my body, making me bent in half. The sound of breaking glass deafened whatever Mioda-san yelled to Hinata-kun and then I saw a puddle of blood mixed with the ice tea next to her mismatched shoes. After that I felt dizzy but somehow I realized it was my blood. The blood that I’ve coughed out. In this moment my consciousness drifted away and the next thing I saw was straw and wood from the ceiling of my cottage._

  
"Where…"

"Lay down, Nagito-chan." Mioda put her hand on Komaeda's shoulder and gently pushed him into matters.

"It would be in the best interest of everyone gathered here, and especially yours Komaeda-san, if you listened to Mioda-san request." somewhere from his right came a gentle voice of the princess.

Komaeda twisted his head a bit to the side to get a better look on a worried faces of Mioda and Sonia leaning over him. Mioda decided to sit on his bed, while Sonia stood next her. After a while of focusing his gaze he spotted Kuzuryuu with his daughters standing close to the doors of cottage. One of the little girls was sitting firmly on gangster shoulders while the other was holding her father’s hand.

"What was that man?! You made girls worry!"

"I’m sorry, Kuzuryuu-kun." Komaeda managed to smile, but it was rather a poor one.

"W-well, wasn’t your fault p-probably." Added gangster with a bit of blush. "Just start to get better care of yourself, goddamnit."

"Ah! Papa speaking bad again! Did you hear it, uncle Komaeda?!" Screamed a girl on the shoulders.

"Tch! Who cares?!" Added the one holding Kuzuryuu hand, clicking with tongue like her father.

"But Haru-nee, Papa shouldn’t speak like that!"

"Shut up, Natsumi!"

"PAPA! Haru-nee is mean to me!"

"Shut up! Both of you!" Kuzuryuu scolded both of his children. "Can’t you two go anywhere without starting an argument for like longer than a ten minutes?!"

"What happened?" Eventually asked Komaeda, ignoring the background noises of a  _child-rearing_ and stopping himself from groaning in annoyance at the last second. He may get older, but he still hated noisy places. And his cottage soon will become one of the loudest on this island thanks to the people inside it.

"According to Mioda-san testimony, you coughed out some blood and lost consciousness on the second island. Hinata-san dashed to a boat and carried you here while Mioda-san found Tsumiki-san and dragged her to your cottage. Hinata-san also took some of your blood samples and went, if I may give an opinion, to analyse it."

"Ibuki also found Sonia-chan!"interrupted Mioda. "She got worried and came here with her to see what happened."

Komaeda shook his head and again felt how the world was spinning around. Before he was given a chance to relax, one of the twins pulled away from her father's grip and climbed to his bed. He gasped when he felt her weight on his stomach.

"You’re a real weakling, Komaeda oni-chan." She said accusingly, keeping her red eyes focused on a white-haired male face. "Something THIS easy put you in a bed?"

"Haruko!" Scolded for a god knows which time his daughter Kuzuryuu and pulled her off the bed. The one that used to sit on his shoulders was now smiling behind his legs. "How many times do I have to remind you?! Ha?! Behave yourself!"

"W-waah! D-don’t scream in patient’s room!" Tsumiki jumped out of nowhere with a drip. "I-I need to give this to Komaeda-san s-so if you could make a place."

Kuzuryuu took his overactive daughters to make some space for a nurse to change nearly empty bottle in Komaeda’s drip.

"Y-you were in this state for almost three hours. I-I was giving you some f-fluids for this time. Nothing funny, I-I swear. Just some glucose and saline solution." she eventually explained to him as she changed the content in his drip.

After she finished Tsumiki took an empty bottle and used swabs, leaving only IV in Komaeda’s right hand as a mark of her interference with patient. All of that medical waste went to a blue liner at the foot of his bed dragged here from a hospital.

Only six seconds after that Komaeda’s doors burst open, showing exhausted Hinata holding papers in one hand. He looked at everybody inside cottage and suddenly Komaeda knew, what he was going to say. The through made him smile sadly.

"Wah! Hinata-san!"

"Whoa! Hajime-chan! What’s going on? Something bad happen?"

"It’s impossible … Did Tanaka-san finally was able to summon a fallen god?! And now is going to make all the world bow to its power?!"

"Papa, why Aunt Sonia always ask about surreal things?"

"Like hell I know, Natsumi."

"Uncle Hinata! Papa…"

"Shut up everyone!" Hinata screamed at the top of his lungs and he only did that when situation was serious. Everybody inside cottage stopped whatever they were doing, making some of them looks funny - Komaeda almost laughed at the sight of twins almost hugging with their fathers' leg between them. It didn’t took a long time for the white-haired male to notice that Hinata was avoiding his eyes.

"Hinata-kun, just say it. I know what’s going on with my body, but the rest of our classmates needs an explanation, I suppose. Or not? I might always be mistaken."

" … " Hinata didn’t said a word, only looked at the twins. Kuzuryuu picked up his way of thinking.

"Haruko, Natsumi, go find uncle Tanaka and see if he really didn’t summoned a monster."

"For real, dad? That’s a really lame excuse to … "

"GO RIGHT NOW!"

Without asking more, sisters took each other’s hands and left the cottage to officially find Tanaka, unofficially to steal some cookies from their cook. Once the door got closed, Hinata looked at everyone again, sadness clearly seen on his face.

"Something wrong with Nagito-chan?"

"Komaeda … " Hinata finally looked into his friend eyes. "It’s recurrence. Your cancer has renewed itself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Natsumi & Haruko - Why those names? Natsumi is preety obvious I think. Why Haruko, then? Have you ever noticed that fuyu=winter, natsu=summer? So I made them meet in betwen. After all haru=spring and the spring is the beginning of season. Just like their life on a island was a new beginning. Why "ko" you ask? PeKO. FuyuhiKO. Do I need to say more?
> 
> And yes, I headcannon that Mioda is into yaoi and yuri(especially yuri) while Sonia likes BL


	2. Importance of beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since English isn't my native language if you find any mistake, tell me about it

"It’s a recurrence. Your cancer…renewed itself…I think."

"Hajime-chan…"

"You saying that …"

"Oh please, not this shit again!" Groaned Kuzuryuu and everyone inside the cottage, with exception of Tsumiki, sighed. "Not after that one…"

"Ibuki agrees with Fuyuhiko–chan!"

"Please excuse me, Hinata-san, but I must agree with Kuzuryuu-san and Mioda-san." Sonia shook her head gracefully. "No one wants another episode like the last one."

"I-I agree with everyone." Added shyly nurse while she was setting the flow rate of the fluid in Komaeda’s drip.

"It wasn’t my fault!" Hinata yelled, slamming a door with his hand. "It was all because of Saionji!"

"Saionji wasn't the one who ran around the entire goddamn island screaming _Komaeda is pregnant_." Snickered gangster, for which Mioda started to loudly and uncontrollably laugh while Sonia put a hand to her mouth to hide a giggle. "Like, seriously man?"

"That one was actually quite funny, Kuzuryuu-kun. I still remember how Hinata-kun got embarrassed every time I said I got stomachache…" admitted Komaeda with a dreamy look on his face. Sonia and Mioda made a mental note of this fact and stored it inside their Mental Shipping Folder. They'll discuss it later.

The laughter inside cottage got louder and Hinata’s annoyance started to grow in exchange of embarrassment. Komaeda having poor health was a common knowledge on the Jabberwoock Island, so no one asked a question when Hinata was performing more checkups on him than on anyone else. Sadly, because of his new knowledge gained by a experiments of neurologists, nowadays he became valetudinarian toward others. Every little abnormality, for him could mean another catastrophe. Mainly at fault here was his analytical talent mixed with genuine care for the others. It was totally a coincidence, that Komaeda was his main aim. After a third overreaction his classmates got used to it and learned to brush it aside, which scarred Mitarai when he witnessed it for the first time.

Every single one of them had the same pattern: Komaeda feels bad; Hinata examining him; Hinata running around screaming he found something and Komaeda is dying; another examination; Komaeda is sick but not deathly sick; Komaeda gets treatment; another day starts.

One time, when Hinata had left to a toilet, Saionji has used the opportunity that occurred to her and changed a name-labels on tubes with blood samples. When Hinata came back he only thanked her for the coffee and plate of sandwiches, only to realize three days later that his white-haired friend was a girl, not to mention a pregnant one. He checked again but no matter how many times he looked at the clipboard in his hands it always had written there the same thing. After two seconds of an analyzing and next three days of getting used to it, he started to run around every island looking for Komaeda, making along a ruckus to everyone he has met. Eventually they realized his mistake and Saionji’s joke but still made fun of Hinata to this day.

"This time it’s serious!"stated Hinata trying to ignore the fact that his face felt hot. Probably the reason was one of the embarrassing memories. 

"R-right." Managed through a laugh Kuzuryuu. "Like when he got a stomach cancer a-and it turned out t-to be a freggin’ ulcers."

"O-or when Hinata-san t-through it was a l-lung ca-cancer."

"And it was just flue! Fuckin’ flue!"

"L-let Ibuki…let Ibuki jump into this." Managed musician, getting up her head from Komaeda’s laps. Somehow laughter send her on a ground and her head ended up on Komaeda’s sheets." Re-remember the time…I can’t! That’s too funny!" She again plopped down on a luckster laps with a spasm of laugh. Komaeda also were laughing alongside others but with much softer, quieter and breathy one laugh - hardly heard while compared to the rest.

"Mi-Mioda-san, may you end your little story, please?"

"Can you all shut up already?! I …" Hinata's request had opposite effect. Everyone inside started to laugh even louder than before. Hinata felt how his irritation was growing. And it was growing as fast as the number of hamsters that Tanaka kept.

"Found another cancer in my body." deadpanned Komaeda with a flip of a eyes. He was the only one who stopped laughing. "Really Hinata-kun, I appreciate your concern but it would be, how many it was already?"

"Ten, eleven if pregnancy counts in." Informed Sonia with her neutral, diplomatic voice.

"You’re counting it?!" amazement made Kuzuryuu stop laugh and gave a princess astonished look, maybe even a little awe.

"Thank you, Sonia-san. It would be eleven time that you're overreacting and we need to neutralize it before time. Go on, what do I have this time, Hinata-kun?" Mocked him Komaeda uprising his grey eyebrows.

"Ibuki bets lungs!" managed musician before she got back to laughing.

After all, they didn't have many entertainment so betting on Hinata's diagnosis was one of a few possibilities to pass time. Maybe not everyone liked that, but it was sort of tradition to do it. And all of them took part in it, only with a different reasons.

"Haemorrhage. Definitely freggin’ haemorrhage." stated Kuzuryuu as he pulled out of his pocket some bullets, three ribbons and two brooches that not so long ago were in Sonia's possession.

"Then I put my bet on lymphoma." declared Komaeda while he searched through his bedside table for something worthwhile. He finally decided on Souda's wrenches, Tanaka's scarf and jar full of guitar picks. The wrenches made a funny, metallic sound when he grabbed them with his artificial hand. He tried to not move his right hand due to a drip. It wold be problematic if his blood showed in there. 

"Not fair, Komaeda-san! Well then, I shall bet on lupus!" decided Sonia and detached her new, made of pearls brooch. After a moment of hesitation she pulled out from her purse a little, radio-controlled car and a big bag of sunflowers seeds. At the same time Mioda was struggling with her hair, trying to untangle her silver hair clips in a shape of a skulls.

"W-wah! I-I refuse to participate in this!" shouted Tsumiki what earned her Hinata's look of gratefulness. He got a feeling that his faith in humanity got restored "B-but I can be a judge." and then crushed in the same second.

Hinata pinched his nose and counted down from ten. Worrying he might say something borderline vulgar, he handed papers to Tsumiki and took a step forward.

"First of all, Komaeda!"

"Yes?" asked innocently luckster, with a bit of feeling whats going to happen in the next three seconds.

"You have a low calcium again! And some of the vitamins too! How many times do I need to repeat myself?! Start. Eating. Properly already, goddamnit!"

"Dad is lecturing him again..." commented Mioda just after successfully pulling out one of her hair clips.

"But I eat, Hinata-kun …" wined Komaeda like stubborn child. It was exactly as he expected but he should have predicted Hinata anger towards this area sooner. It was as if Hinata had some kind of obsession toward his weight and Komaeda wasn't sure if he liked that or was annoyed by it. He liked when Hinata was yelling at him - that was true - but somehow it seamed that he didn't enjoy it that much when the topic was his weight. He wondered why?

"Not enough it looks. I’ve told you like a gazillion times…"

"That number exist?"

"To eat according to a diet! You need to reach 22 on BMI scale!"

"But I am already 21…"

"20.9 to be exact. And that’s not enough! At your best you got 21.3 but you've lost it pretty fast. And even then it wasn't enough!"

It was this moment. Komaeda knew that Hinata and Kamukura were mixed with each other and existed as the one organism but couldn't stop himself from finding where exactly the line between them laid. There were short, almost unnoticed moments that were giving him hints. As short-lived as a day-fly, but nonetheless visible. Here he could hear a cold, analytical Kamukura Izuru's voice stating his actual BMI, followed by a high, a bit angry and annoyed Hinata's. Komaeda took some kind of pride in himself whenever he spotted a moment like that.

"Gezz, get to the point Hinata. Don’t keep us waiting." hurried him Kuzuryuu and pushed all the goods into their nurse's hands. She almost lost her balance but more due to shock than an actual weigh of the belongings.

"Wah!" Tsumiki got all attention on herself which she was sure she didn't like. Gulping and averting gazes she explained what she saw in the files she kept in one hand while the other one carried their wagers. "I-I am not a d-doctor but it seems t-this time Hinata-san was right."

"…what?" after a short pause, which seemed to be an unnatural phenomenon in this place, Komaeda's mouth moved on its own. Barely above a whisper.

"So when he said recurrence...It wasn't just another bullshit?"

"I-It surely look like the results for a lymphoma. Komaeda-san, your amount of leukocytes i-is similar to the one f-from before Hope's Peak. H-have you seen a-any enlarged lymph nodes, Hinata-san? I-I didn't look at Komaeda-san so I don't know. I-I am not saying th-that you like to do it!"

Komaeda again got this feeling. The feeling of free head, how he used to name it. The situation where he only felt your head and thoughts inside it and how they kept fighting with each other. The lack of feeling, no wind on a face, not a single touch, no hearing, vision blurred. As if his head got chopped off rest of his body. The last time he has fealt this way was two weeks before lottery at the Hope’s Peak Academy. His doctor said what they had discovered and life expectancy. His luck allowed him to fool his illness but it seemed that was how long it lasted.

 

_We discovered in TK a deterioration in temporal lobe and slightly in frontal..._

_We took your blood samples and would also like to perform a lymph node biopsy make sure..._

_We can't say nothing for sure but it looks like a medication..._

_In my opinion, the oncology hospitals..._

_For now we try to use radiology..._

_We need to change your therapy to chemo..._

_We put you on a list for a test therapy..._

_I am sorry to inform you…_

 

_I have a bad news…_

 

"Aha…hahaha" breathy and bitter laugh left his lugs. "Looks like I won." admitted finally Komaeda with unreadable expression. Mostly because bangs covered half of his face, making his eyes invisible to a world. In his opinion it was great. He didn't need to look at anybody to remind himself how looks the eyes of a shock and pity.

 

~*~

 

He didn't know what happened after this. In this place of his memory existed a black hole, but instand of eating rays of light it was vomiting with black mist.

 

_So...this is the end? It sure could be worse. But what am I supposed to do now?_

_..._

_It's funny. Before the Tragedy, no, before the Hope's Peak I knew what to expect and how it all would play out, but now? It's so different that I don't even know from where I should start._

 

White bird flew through a blue horizon leaving only a short-lived echo of its squeak. Sun's rays were strong enough to make silver ring on its leg visible even from Komaeda's place.

 

_Looks like Lord Chirpchirp run away again. That means twins really went to Tanaka-kun, hmm? I wonder, did they steal something from Hanamura-kun? I wouldn't mind if Haru-chan brought me something. She has a good taste as long as we are talking about food. Sadly, she's probably mocking little Natsumi right now and won't come._

 

Komaeda plopped down, rather ungracefully on his pillows and looked at his ceiling as if answers to his questions were written there. Or at least a hints to this answers.

 

 _I don't even know how I feel. It's not that I always know how I feel but...now it feels strange. I don't even have words to describe it. Well, maybe the reason behind it is my Broca's area or rather the amount of it deficiency._  

 

Komaeda turned over on his stomach and hid his head in the pillow as if he tried to suffocate himself. He probably wold laugh at himself if he saw his current position but couldn't bring his facial muscles to move.

 

_Wait, was it Broca's area or orbital gyrus responsible for a vocabulary? Hmm...I'll ask Hinata-kun about it later._

 

It was at this moment, that it hit Komaeda. The cold feeling, like a bag of ice cubes they kept in the fridge on a beach were shoved under his shirt. Hinata would look at him with this eyes of pity but also full of knowledge what was going on. Komaeda could lie to everybody on the Jabberwock Island but Hinata would knew better. And because he knew, it hurt much worse.

But it wasn't the only thing that occurred to him. It was also the fact, that he soon won't be able to talk with Hinata. He won't wake him up in the middle of the night because he lost balance and ended up in the water. He won't argue with him about his eating habits. He won't see him annoyed because some accident happened or another one of Mioda's idea came to life. They won't be laughing together anymore. They won't be scolding twins. They won't be napping under this big tree in the park. They won't ... They won't be doing anything that they were doing up until now. And only now Komaeda realized how much he actually enjoyed all of them.

 

_I...won't be able to be by Hinata-kun's side any more...Mioda-san was right, it bites me now. But...what are those other feelings? I don't understand them! It was much easier when the only thing that existed inside there was "absolute hope that can overcome any despair"!_

 

Komaeda again turned over on his back and looked at the ceiling. Maybe this time the answers will show. Or at least hints to this answers. Or a hints to a hints to this answers. He blew away wild strand of his hair and sighed deeply.

 

_There...There was this story...I don't remember it very clearly...I read it a long time ago. A heroine tried to understand what she done to her family and how she ended that way so she was searching through her memories for the answers. Maybe I should try it too? But from where should I start?_

 

Komaeda's eyes laid on a files that Tsumiki or Hinata leaved on his desk. This time half of his facial muscles moved, forming a somewhat broken smirk.

 

_Might as well do as a first chapter. After all, it all started with a files..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mioda's hair clips - well, since this story take place ten years later most of people there changed in appearance. For example, Mioda changed horns for a hair clips. I could draw and post the reference for some characters if you want.  
> *BMI - Body Mass Index. The norm is 18,5-25. Since Komaeda is canonically 20, he should gain some weight.  
> *Blood getting into a drip - It happens if you move your hand to much. Since Komaeda probably spend most of his time in hospitals, he should know that type of things.  
> *Broca's area - that's really a part of brain responsible for speaking and vocabulary. You can check it. Also, I think it's normal for patient to know a little about things that concerns their illness.  
> *OOC - if you think that some people act out of character, that's part of the story. They grew up and changed a bit. With chapters showing past you'll see why and how. Maybe then they'll seem less ooc ... I hope so
> 
>  
> 
> Oh boy, that sure take a lot of time. The funny thing is that it was not because it was hard but because of exams. Yeah I had pretty terrible time with them, but I managed to pass *applause* The next chapter finally be one of Komaeda memory. Yeah I know, took me too long.  
> And sorry if someone is annoyed by medical bullshit, but studies change people and I had to (read needed to) add some of it there  
> Well, till next time!


	3. Importance of files

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now it's finally a time to write Komaeda's backstory that Kodaka never gave us but we all kinda (not) want to see and drown in angst  
> As always If you find any typo or gramma mistake tell me  
> And you can also visit my tumblr where I rebblog vatious stuff and put my (shitty) fanart  
> https://chocolatecrisps-ao3.tumblr.com/

_How did this all began?_

_It's a question asked by many for as long as any of us can remember - doesn't matter if we are worthy or not. When was the start of life. When the world was created. When humans became what they are. Scientists, philosophers, thinkers, sages and various others - whose names I don't remember - have been pondering over this questions, over and over again. None of them reached answer for that to this day, even though they investigated it for so long._

_But they aren't the only ones who are doing it. Even ordinary people ask this question themselves. Of course the scale isn't always so wide, but nonetheless the question still exist inside their heads. When our friendship take so bad turn that we ended up this way. When has she fallen to despair and why didn't I noticed. When did she started to think despair is the only way to live. When exactly was made a decision that started all this mess. When was a point that made him choose so awful thing to do...the questions varies but in the end they all reach the same meaning - how did it all began?_

_Me? You want to know how did it all began for me? It's a tricky question because you can't just find an exact point in timeline of my poor, miserable existence that would answer it. After all, if that question was easy the most wisest of the world wouldn't struggle with it, right? But if I were to choose 'when did it all began' I wold simply answer with "the moment my dad wrote my name in a birth register files". See? Nothing special. All of us began with that thing. It's kinda funny to say but everything in this world starts with files. The moment you are born, the moment you are getting married, the moment you are hospitalized, the moment you reach maturity, the moment you die - all of them starts with a bunch of files. So at this point I hope that none of you get disappointed when I just say that for me 'all started with files', because that's the truth I cannot deny._

 

_~*~_

 

_The name shape a person - according to Sonia-san, that's a really popular saying. I'm not so sure about it, but I can assure you that name can either help you or be your biggest problem. The girl with a name "Yui" doesn't have to worry about being bullied because of her name but she can be mistaken for another girl with the same name. Hinata-kun can get angry because his surname could as well be his first name. Well, after all he is...was an ordinary person, so that would be expected. I wonder if he met a black-haired, red-eyed girl on snowy day, dressed only in a white shimmy saying "what a dull name". Wait, doesn't that sound a bit like Hinata-kunxKamukura Izuru type of story from those mangas that Mioda-san and Sonia-san are reading? Somehow I feel like I need to apologize to Hinata-kun for that thought. As long as it concerns me the problem with a name was more of a "what a strange name" rather than "what a dull one". I wanted ordinary name that wouldn't make people stare at me but I wasn't given that. What a bad luck. In exchange I was given the best dad you could ever imagine. What a good luck!_

_Ups, I'm way off the topic. The motif this time is "files" not "name". The memory behind a name is for another time._

_The luck accompanied me for such a long time, that I would call it a friend if it was person. The problem was that I didn't realize that I was lucky early enough. There were a signs but someone as incompetent as me wouldn't be able to spot them. But maybe it was because I was a kid? Does all kids are that blind?_

_"Little kids-little problems. Big kids-big problems." For me it was more like "Little Nagito-little luck. Big Nagito-big luck." That would also be one more reason why I haven't realized it sooner. So, what kind of papers were involved when I was a kid? Maybe I'll start with my first lottery tickets._

 

**Komaeda Nagito memory #Lucky ticket**

**Age: 4**

"Nagito! Come here for a sec'!"

I ignored the voice from the kitchen and take another car from my toy box. This car pyramid still isn't high enough and I almost ended it. Just one more...a bit more and my pyramid...

*crash*

My pyramid...is ruined. I worked three hours to make it this high. I fell like crying but boys can't cry, even when they are hurt. That's what dad says! But still, I really wanted to make this pyramid with all my toy cars...

"Nagito!"

I get off the chair with a bit of a struggle. It was "an adult chair" and it's hard for most of the kids to crawl on them. Well, in my case it was opposite. I can get on a chair without big problems but getting of was always a bit hard.

When my feet finally felt fluffy, brown carpet laid in our living room I run towards the kitchen trying not to step on any of the toys. It's not that I have too many toys, but I too much like them to let them get destroyed under my feet. The plushies are no problems but bricks on the other hand are hurtful. Dad sometimes walk into them and then screams how much it hurts and use many bad words that I'm not allowed to repeat.

When I showed up in a passage between kitchen and a hallway dad was sitting on a chair with his back facing me. He was looking at something that laid in front of him on a table.

"Dad?"

He turned around and smiled at me. I immediately run and when I was close enough, jumped towards him. I wasn't afraid, because dad would always catch me and his arms were really strong and big.

"Didn't you heard me the first time?"

"I was making...somethin'."

"A tower?"

"It's pyramid! Like the Egyptian ones!"

"So now you have 'Egypt phase'?" as he asked this he pulled me on his lap.

"It's not a phase! I will become Egyptian king!"

"But you know that Egyptians worshiped cats?"

"You are lying, everyone loves dogs!" I pouted for an obvious lie. No one smart likes cats. They vomit with fur, claws coaches and licks butter. "Dad, can we..."

"I hope it's not another 'Please, buy me dog', because we discussed that. We can't buy one now, maybe when you get older."

This time I crossed my arms and looked into his eyes. Dad has unusual eye-color, it's a strange type of blue that at the same looks like grey. I like to call them 'borderline grey'. But regarding his eye-color, it doesn't matter how serious I would look now, he only laughed and tousled my brown hair.

"I hate when you're doing this!" my protest were laughed at, and dad turned me around on his lap so that I would face what was on a table. "Another one?"

"Yes, another one."

"Hmm..."

Once a month dad brings home some papers from a stable and ask me which horse I like the most. I don't know why he's doing it but he takes me on an ice creams a week after I choose one almost every time. Or two weeks if he feels bad. It's not that I dislike horses but I don't see a point in looking at them without buying me one. But their photos mean that I'll get ice creams soon so it isn't that bad.

"I like this one!" I said as I pointed towards black one with one white leg. "He looks great."

"You are right, Nagito. Tornado sure looks great."

"Can we go on an ice cream?" he hugged me tightly as I tried to escape his grip. I hate when he does it - it's not possible to breathe there.

"We'll go next week, what do you think?"

"Okay..." I admitted a bit sadly.

"But tonight's going to be a cloudless night. We can watch stars together."

"We go on a camping?!"

"Yes, we go on a camping."

"Yahoo!"

"But first" he waved some red card in front of my face "for luck."

I rolled my eyes and blew at a card. Dad finally put me on a ground so I could now sprints towards my bedroom and prepare for the camping.

 

 _Exactly_ _week later dad bought me not only ice creams, but also many new toys, clothes, books and TV to our living room. The red card I have blown at was his first winning ticket. Since that day, our live got better because now we had money that we needed._

 _As a kids we all blindly look up on our parents and overlook their flaws. In our eyes they doesn't have them. They take us on ice creams, give us toys and protect from the evil. But as we are growing up we suddenly see what they do more clearly and realize that it's time to rebel_ _. Or at least some of us._

_My dad wasn't bad, he just had one big flaw that I failed to spot when I was little. He loved gambling and to be exact he loved to bet on racing horses. And because I was the one with luck I helped him win them many times. Of course at that time I didn't realize how my "luck" works._

_I didn't realize how it works till I was twelve. But before that, the next important files appeared when I was six._

 

**Komaeda Nagito memory #Child Center files**

**Age: 6**

I was sitting alone in a home for almost all day. Dad said he has gone to shopping and be back in a minute. He sure takes his time. I'm hungry.

As I was waiting in a living room watching some anime about ghosts and shamans, I heard a door bell. Strange, dad wouldn't use a bell and it's long after mail carrier would come. I get on my feet and rushed towards door. Somehow I had a bad felling.

As I stayed on top of my toes I looked through peep-hole and saw two mens dressed in blue just like policemans. I opened the door but leaved chain, just to be sure.

"Hello, are you living here?" asked one of mans smiling at me. His smile sure looked fake. As fake as a porcelain for 2,000 yen. I nodded hesitantly. "Can we talk with you for a moment?"

"Why?"

"We want to ask you about your father."

"Dad went shopping. He will come back soon." as I said those words both mens looked at each other and exchange meaningful glances. Maybe they spotted that I lied? Dad went to some kind of institution to talk about moving out. I know him well enough to get when "shopping" means something different. "Did something happen?"

"Can we get inside?" asked the one that used to be silent. I frowned a little.

"Are you a real policemen?" one of them gave me their badge. It looked real so I put down the chain and let them in. "I'm sorry for a mess. Dad went to buy cleaning products but didn't come back yet. Do you want juice? I would make coffee but I'm not allowed to touch express."

"Can you sit?" asked one of policemen. I was a bit puzzled but nonetheless sat on a coach and waited for what they have to say, waving my legs in the air at the same time. "Is this your father's?"

Car driving licence with my dad photo was pushed towards me on a coffee table. Short, black hair, gray almost blue eyes, bushy eyebrows, everything was in its place. I nodded in agreement.

"Does dad lose it and you brought it back for him?"

"No, actually we found it in his pocket."

"...I...don't understand?" I tilted my head as I said it and wondered why did it sounded like question.

"There was an accident. Someone loses control over car and run over few people at a supermarket station."

 

_I...don't like this part. It's gets really boring there. In short, I was in a shock; couldn't believe it; screamed that it's not true etc. They finally took me to a police station where I was talking with an old women that smelled like a nicotine and naphthalene. She searched through my files reading my history and all the time she was giving me those eyes of a shock and pity._

_Mother died two months after giving birth._

_Sister and her husband are alive. Live at a far location from each other._

_Father addicted to gambling. Died at car accident._

_No close relatives._

_And just like that, without asking me a single question, without asking what I'm thinking, without caring about me I was sent to my mother's sister whose I never saw and before that day didn't even knew existed. Apparently she and her husband couldn't have children and has thought about adoption for a long time. This old women said that I wold like my new home. It's big and in a traditional style. There won't be any problem with space and I could sleep in my own bed, not on putrefied coach._

_I didn't listen what she was actually saying. She didn't even knew how wrong she actually was, but that wasn't her fault. It was my fault for being worthless piece of trash. At the time I was wondering, why did this happen to me. Now I know. Our TV started working properly and received more programs than before and dad promised we'll go to a kennels. Not to mention that he stopped gambling four months ago. Truly a good luck. The bad luck just waited to follow it._

 

**Komaeda Nagito memory #Adoption**

**Age:6**

I was sitting in a big room with yellow walls and blue floor-covering. Few kids around my age were playing with each other yelling from time to time. They were either trying to catch each other or played board games on one of the four little tables. I didn't want to play with any of them. All of them were saying awful things about their parent and were happy to separate with them. I hate that attitude. But even more - I hate how loud they are.

To separate from them and change their voices into a white noise, I took a chair and sat in a corner with book in hands. The books here were awful and extremely childish, not to mention worn out, but could serve as a distraction for a while.

"Nagito-kun!" as I heard my name I looked toward a direction it came from. Our babysitter, young girl who died her hair blond with a pink highlights, was standing in a doorway. Her left hand still covered cast, decorated with a colorful pictures made by children. She has broken it when she tried to catch me when I fell off the swing. "Can you come with me to the office?"

Because in this place it wasn't polite ask but an order, I nodded and put my book down. When I was by her side she took me by a hand and went with me to a place where a smelly old women lived. Maybe something good happen this time? Last time I went there she was asking me about family and gave me caramel candies. Maybe she still have some?

"Miss Director, I brought Nagito-kun with me." announced girl as she opened the door with one hand. "Go there, sweety" It's not polite ask, that's an order. So because I was ordered I stepped into the office.

Inside were three people, smelly director and two adults I didn't know. The only thing I could notice about them was smell and look of dignity, as if they were royalty or at least higher class. Both of them had golden rings on wedding finger so probably married couple. The women had triangle face, without a trace of emotion on it and green eyes that gave off an aura 'would kill if you get to close'. Her husband had at least a little smile on his lips but it clearly looked businesslike instand of happy. Both of them also were wearing clothes that looked quite expensive. The man was in a navy blue suit with a black shirt underneath while women wore turquoise yukata with a motive of butterflies on it.

"Ms and Mrs Komaeda, this is Nagito-kun." announced old lady who was smiling this whole time. I bowed as she pointed at me. "You can take him any time, as long as you sign down adoption papers."

_Adoption papers?_

"I'll leave you for a moment." as she said it, the old director stand up from her armchair and leaved the office. I was left alone with two people I didn't knew.

"So...you are Nagito-kun." stated women, not a single sign of emotion in her voice. I nodded in agreement. "Do you know who I am?" this time I shook head. The women stand up from her chair with a sight. Before I asked why she did it, she opened a window and pulled out cigarette and an oil lighter. Does every adult smoke?

"I am Komaeda Yurie, younger sister of your mother - Yukiko." she stopped to inhale and then release a cloud of tobacco smoke through the window. "The last time I spoke with her was seven years ago before she run away with your father. I didn't even knew she was dead."

"..."

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Dear, remember it's still a child." said men, his voice also didn't hold any emotions. "They think and act different than people at companies."

"I know. I just feel strange being the only one who talks." admitted women and released another puff. "Can you ever talk?"

"I...I can Miss."

"At least that. And don't call me 'Miss'."

"How should I then?" the women stubbed out cigarette on the windowsill and threw it away on a grass below.

"From now on you will address me as a 'Mother' and my husband as a 'Father'. You will be officially existing as our only son and you aren't allowed to ever again speak about your biological parents. Luckily for you, you more resembles my sister than your father so no one will be asking questions. If it was the other way we wouldn't take you. And since that stupid sister of mine changed surname, you'll take our family name just as it should be. I don't get why did she changed it, did she thought that I wouldn't find her if she did that? Well, in short - from now on, the moment you leave this place, you will be known as Komaeda Nagito and we will be the only parents you ever had, do you understand that?"

I nodded but her face showed that wasn't enough for her.

"Yes, Mother." I answered her. After all it wasn't polite ask - it was an order.

 

_They have signed adoption papers the next day and transported me away in a hurry. Apparently, Komaedas lacked alive family members or, to be more precise, my Mother was the last one and because she couldn't have children they took me to keep their surname alive. That and to keep family fortune away from strangers. It was so long ago that I even forgotten what was my first surname, but who would care about something insignificant like that? They would give me love in exchange of forgetting about past, so who I was to disagree? I'm just a piece of garbage._

 

**Komaeda Nagito memory #San Cristobal Island**

**Age:12**

I was sitting bored in a plane and looking out of window at the clouds. I didn't feel sleepy even through I had to wake up on 5 am. Mother and Father had some paper work on Galápagos and since they couldn't have found any babysitter for me, they took me with them. It wasn't a bad tour. I got to swim with dolphins and almost ended making sandcastle. It's funny that every construction I ever try to build collapse before it's done. How unlucky. But I got to see coral reef, so I can't complain. And Mother promised to go to a doctor and to take medicine again. I may actually be lucky.

 

_Whenever I let myself acknowledge that I am "lucky" something is bound to happen - something "unlucky". That's how this cycle works. It wasn't different this time too. The moment the truth was showed before me, the moment I learned about my cycle, was after a plane accident that killed my parents. Or to be more precise, my luck killed them._

 

Three people dressed in a white clothes with black mask on their faces stood up and started shouting in three languages: English, Russian and German, or so I think. I don't know anyone from east Europe who would enlight me. Or from Europe at all. From their English I could make out something along the lines "We have a bombs. We are terrorist. This plane is now hijacked."

I was terrified. What's going to happen to people here?! What's going to happen with parents?

Before I was allowed to end my thought process, one of the men got close to me and pulled me up by a hair. I knew I should have cut them. Before I could answer for whatever question he asked I was thrown hard at backrest and felt something hot on one of my temples. When I touched this place it hurt and my hand was colored in red. It looked like if I squished tomato in it. The terrorist got back to his friend and they started to guffaw together.

And the moment they stood close to each other, something came through plane and made their heads look like a smashed tomatoes. It was so fast, like an eye blinking, that I didn't even acknowledged it at first. The stone, no meteorite, shout them in a heads and killed instantly. It wasn't big, maybe around Father's fist size but strong and fast enough to take out three mens.

"Gracias a Dios, qué suerte!" said someone in Spanish.

" _What a good luck. Thanks God!_ " said someone in English.

"We were lucky ..." commented Father as he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket.

As if it triggered something, one of mens moved his hand under his clothes. The only thing I remember after that was hot pressure that send me at the other end of the plane.

When I woke up, everything was in pieces. The blue seats were showing their insides. Windows got crushed, so were some bottles and glass scattered everywhere. But that wasn't the worst part. Never ending sea of limbs covered in a blood, glass and reaped clothes. Some still attached to the bodies, some not. They were everywhere like a bricks that child forget to put back into box. Handbags, purses and backpack lied in every possible place you could imagine. Their contents and people here in one, big mess.

"Mother?...Father?" I hesitantly asked to confirm they weren't part of this banquet of a broken mannequins. 

"Mother! Father!" I shouted again with no response. I got to stand on my legs. It hurts! It hurts. Some of glass got into my legs. They looked kinda grotesque, like baseball bat with nails. I ignored the pain and started really slowly walk toward their seats.

*splash* *splash* *crash**drip* *splash* *drop*

This sounds, made by my trainers touching liquid and bags contents on the floor, accompanied me as I was moving my legs forward. I may have even stand on one of the detached limbs or bones. Ignore them, I must ignore them. 

The sight around filled my nose with a metallic smell of blood, a bit sweat aroma of burned bodies and a really nice scent of jet fuel. Ignore them, move forward. Everything will be alright.

"Father! Moth...er?"

In a books and movies when a main character finally reaches place like that, he finds his friends and family alive. Wounded but alive. My parents were anything but alive.

I recognized them only because of seats, metal hairpin that my Mother was always wearing and Father's hand still holding white handkerchief. Their bodies have burned and changed it colors to dark brown - like a chocolate they use to decorate cakes. In their eye sockets were glass and the thing that used to be eyeball a moment ago was pouring down their faces. Mother lacked part of head, making her brain visible with some bones and metal in it. Her brain looked like a really badly smashed pomegranates. The liquid that slowly poured out of it was so similar to a drinks which she drank hour ago at a poolside. Red mixed with something transparent, probably cerebrospinal fluid and after running down on her temple, ear and chin ended up on floor making this bloody river under my feet a bit larger.

 

_And on that day I realized what I posses. What a terrifying thing I was given. And how powerful it can actually be. All the bad things in past, all the good things in the past ladled out on each other and started to make sense. I was the only survivor of this hopeless situation so it must have meant that ..._

 

"...I was lucky...then unlucky...then again lucky...and unlucky...so...I should be lucky now, right?"

 

**Komaeda Nagito memory #Despair files**

**Age: 22**

The longer I looked at the profiles of my classmates, the bigger urge I felt to laugh. All of them...were Super High School Level Despairs?! Including this piece of garbage that I am?! Symbols of Hopes? As if! We all are just stepping stones to let hope shine! That must be it! And Hinata-kun...Hinata-kun didn't even posses a talent! He's just a useless piece of garbage left on the side of the road from Reserve Course! He's nothing! Even more than me! Even more...than me...because he didn't realize where he belongs!

"Kha...ha...haha...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I can't! That's just to funny! The more I looked at it the funnier it becomes!

_Mioda Ibuki_

_Former SHSL K-on_

_Often partners up with Saionji Hiyoko(F.SHSL Traditional dancer) and organize despair-inducing performances. Their fans after being touched by their shows starts spreading despair in their living quarters and/or commits mass suicides. She's physically weak but her guitar posses flame guns with a rage of four meters, what makes her dangerous opponent._

_Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko_

_Former SHSL Yakuza_

_Always accompanied by Pekoyama Peko (F.SHSL Swordswomen) who acts as his bodyguard. He uses his leverage as a son of Kuzuryuus and loyalty of his mens to spread despair. They act as a little army and torture, kill and/or rape everyone they meet on their way. They also took over many offices, institutions and departments killing or submitting to themselves its once rightful owners. After Enoshima Junko death he pulled out his right eye and replaced it with Enoshima's. Due to it infunctionality he wears an eye-patch. He's impossible to touch due to his mens and bodyguard. He always have gun with himself, which he use really skillfully if he had to._

_Koizumi Mahiru_

_Former SHSL Photographer_

_She's always first in the place that's going to be drained in despair. If you see her, you can be sure the other Despairs are close. She's spreading despair by photographing everything that her classmates achieve and publicizing it. She used to do it on internet when in still worked, making her easy to locate. Nowadays she often accompanies Sonia Nevermaind (F.SHSL Princess) and helps her with propaganda on an old territory of Novoselic Kingdom. She doesn't posses any weapon but is fast runner and almost always accompanied by other Despairs, which makes her hard to catch._

_Komaeda Nagito_

_Former SHSL Luck_

_His actions are much different from the rest of his classmates, whom he never accompanies. He never actually puts his hands into anything, but everything ends up his way thanks to his keen intellect and great manipulation skills. Some people even claim that he achieved most of his plans thanks to "luck". One of his quirk is saying that he's doing everything "for the sake of Hope". He was last seen in Towa City helping previous servants of Enoshima Junko - Warrios of Hope(currently under Byakuya Togami order). He's current whereabouts are unknown. After Enoshima Junko death he has cut off his left hand and replaced it with hers, which he hides under a mitten. Out of all Despairs he's the weakest one and the easiest to kill due to his poor stamina, health and lack of help from the others Despairs. Surprisingly, everyone that tried to achieve it ended up killed or badly wounded in all sorts of accidents (Luck?)_

What a despair-inducing thing to read! All symbols of Hope are actually a symbols of Despair! This profiles just made me realize how stupid I was! How stupid of me was to believe in them! Even for a trash like me, it was really stupid to believe in them! Especially in Hinata-kun! A poor, little, talentless Hinata-kun!

_Hinata Hajime_

_Reserve Course_

_Expelled at the end of first year_

_He was found by Naegi Makoto inside destroyed classroom 1-B of a former new building of Hope's Peak. He was so deep in despair that he couldn't even remember his own name. ("There was a girl who called me 'Hinata-kun' so I guess that was my name.") No records of spreading despair. He helped found and collect in one place all Remnants of Despair._

What a bad luck! All I believed was Hope turned out to be Despair! But...that mean I can become Hope...if I get rid of despair, I'll became Super High School Level Hope! Everyone will be praising and loving me!

"HAHAHAhahaha!"

Monokuma also added one more profile - Kamukura Izuru. He was the one who put us in this situation, or at least colorful words MASTERMIND around his name suggest so. He must be watching us from somewhere and feel really hopeful to see all Despairs murdering each other.

But the rest doesn't have to know it...now. I just have to destroy it!

I took lighter, some box and started to rip away every page in a blinder. Page by page. Page by page. Page by page. Page by...

I stopped at Hinata-kun profile. The paper wrinkled a little but...I couldn't make myself to move my hand properly. It just unconsciously stopped itself. My fingers touched the photo of Hinata-kun face - frowning without a trace of a smile on it, of course. Shame, he has a beautiful smile. But that's a smile of someone who has fallen to despair! Just like me. But he doesn't have a talent! Just like me. I hate you! You tricked me into thinking you have a talent! That you are somebody who embody hope more that anyone else! You still talked with me, even when you knew what I really am like! You smiled at me when we first met! You cared about me when I had Liar Disease! I hate you! I should have hate you! So why? Why?!...Why are you still dear to me?!

...

Nevermind, I'll think about it later. Now I need to investigate crime scene. I don't want to get executed with the rest of them.

 

~*~

 

Komaeda lied in his bed looking at his ceiling. The memory trip didn't help him much. Maybe he needs to change a theme? Files seamed to be fine at the begging but it resulted in fewer answers that he would predict. But predicting wasn't his role, so it was acceptable.

He heard a knocking at the door and gave permission to whoever was behind them. Hinata's head show in an interval between doors and frame.

_Speaking about predicting..._

"Do...Do you feel good enough to go to a hospital with me?" asked Hinata for which Komaeda tilted his head to a side.

"Lymph biopsy?"

"Lymph biopsy."

"Then don't worry. I can get there on my own legs."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Black haired, red eyed girl in white shimmy that you meet on a snowy day - reference to my the most favorite manga of all times. And my favorite character from it. Kudos to anyone who guess it  
> Komaeda the dog lover - I always thought that he was more of dog person. And If you watched OVA you can see that cats...doesn't especially like him  
> "Yahoo!" - Do you remember when Komaeda in chapter 4 done the same? When he was given files by Monokuma? No? Just me?  
> anime about ghosts and shamans - that was my childhood, and kudos to anyone who guess it  
> Yes, it's a bad habit of mine to add references whenever I can. And I beg for any comments because i feel like i doing something wrong.  
> And you can visit my tumblr to see what shit I rebblog and my fanarts from time to time (see chapter summary for address)


	4. Importance of medicine

The only bridge you can find on Jabberwock Island was the one leading from a Central Island to Third island and it was this way for a simply two reasons. First - if something were to happened to someone it was easier to transport someone in question through bridge rather than carry on a boat, which not everyone knew how to operate.

Apparently more people were unable to use them than able. Only Imposter, Hinata, Souda and Koizumi could be considered as a "safe choice". Giving boat to either Sonia or Nidai meant that boat will be treated as racing motorboat and all baggage and crew at one point were going to become wet and lost. The only difference between was that while Nidai would jump into the water and safe almost everything pretty quickly, Sonia most of the times was so focused on pinning gas pedal to the floor that more than once her crew and packs ended up in water a long time before she acknowledged it. Mitarai and Komaeda weren't that bad at it but sometimes they managed to scratch one side of boat with rocks, coral reef or other strange things that just waited to test Komaeda's luck power. Not to mention silent pact, which stated to never gave Tsumiki access to any ship or boat on this Island after she miraculously turned it around as if it was canoe and started to apologize how unsightly she was looking, while wearing bedraggled clothes which clearly didn't leave much to imagination. All residents of Jabberwock Island decided there in silence to never again try to teach their nurse how to operate one.

Second, more down to the ground, at that time their wood supplies were enough only to build one, so they've chosen the closest island and after finished it decided they have no needs for another. Building the bridge happened to be more energy detouring than rebuilding living quarters for them. Going under water, bringing wood, ropes, nails, stones and cement under water, having sun on their backs. None of them wanted to experience it again, so it was decided - no more bridges, just more docks.

And now Hinata and Komaeda were walking together this exact bridge, silence creeping between them. For Komaeda it wasn't that big of a problem, he preferred silence to noise and unnecessary talk, but it seemed strange for him that Hinata wasn't trying to cheer him up or something along the lines. Even the frown on his face looked more unwelcome than usual.

"Everything alright?" asked Komaeda with a tilt of his head in, as Hinata noted, a Sonia resembling way. Apparently it seemed that Komaeda adapted some of the tics from the people he was hanging out.

"I should be the one asking this." came a nervous answer and Hinata looked into his eyes for the second time this day. "I'm sorry for jumping to a conclusions and for all this shouting in your room. I just, you know, can't do much to turn it off." he mumbled out an answer as he pointed to his head.

"...are you apologizing for unavailability to control the way your brain is working or for becoming hypochondriac?"

"Both...kinda?...I think."

"Then its stupid, Hinata-kun" Hinata's upraised eyebrows were signal for Komaeda to continue "We can't do anything with the way it's working and, if you didn't lie of course, you over thinking everything because...you...you are...worrying...about me..."the embarrassment made second half of sentence hardly heard and Komaeda really was trying his best to not blush, for what Hinata only smiled.

"You read too much Sonia's mangas if a sentence like that makes you blush."

"It's not like I can say much in this case. Sonia-san is pretty...convincing. Hinata-kun, you also read those, remember? The one about..."

"S-shut up!" Hinata's face instantly became as red as Koizumi's hair. The memory of images from one of said manga were hidden as deeply as Hinata could manage and sealed away so he would never ever see them again. All males on Island agreed that it was truly a traumatic experience - even Hanamura acknowledged the fact that Sonia's mangas were awful - and kept their distance from said mangas as wide as humanly possible. With exception of Komaeda, of course, who was always dragged away by Mioda and/or Sonia. Why he still was able to look them in the eyes remained a mystery.

Komaeda's smile widen and he chuckled. _That was truly a reaction suitable for Hinata-kun. No one else can fluster so easily, not to mention in a tsundere way_.

"D-don't laugh at me, idiot. Do I have to make you remember what did you asked me after one session with _them_?"

"I...I would appreciate if you don't, Hinata-kun." Komaeda's repentant sight went to his shoes. That was his second most shameful, most embarrassing, most awkward memory with Hinata in center of it. About first knew no one beside Komaeda and he wished it stayed this way.

"Then don't rub salt into the wounds."

"But you are like embodiment of salt..."

"SAY WHAT?"

"Nagito-chan!" like an angel sent from Heaven, Mioda saved Komaeda from a long discussion of problems concerning his character and put all attention on herself. She approached them with some type of running mixed with jumping, her necklace and bracelets jumping and clacking with every movement. "Why aren't you hooooldiing hands?"

"Why should we?" asked dumbfounded Hinata, unconscious of Komaeda swallowing a saliva.

"Every couple on a walk is holding hands!" Mioda waved her hand around almost making circle that ended with finger guns. "And kissing!" this time she leaned forward balancing on one leg, touching her lips with two fingers. "An make out in a closet when they find the perfect one!" she ended with a shout to the sky while hugging both of her sides.

"M-Mioda-san!" this time it was Komaeda that had red face from embarrassment. Not that he didn't predicted it, but it still was making him feel ashamed. 

"Mioda! Tch, why your girlfriend want us to...y-you know. We aren't in THAT kind of relationship..."

"Mioda-san isn't my girlfriend." corrected Komaeda, at the same time while murdering Mioda with his eyes and ignoring some mild, sharp pain in his chest.

"That's the only thing that concerns you?"

"Here not being enough hope, some despair on the land, Hanamura-kun sexual harassment on Mitarai-kun and the fact that you can't say 'sex'" came answer from a luckster with a child-like truthfulness.

"Ibuki heard enough! She can now work with Sonia-chan on some stuff. Gahoo! And Ibuki wanted to give you this!" the girl sanded on top of her tip toes and clipped a hairpin on top of Komaeda's head, so that his forehead was visible. "Ta-dah! Present! Have a good luck!" and with this parting words she sprinted towards her cottage were she and Sonia would discuss their shipping material and write the one they weren't given.

"I have strange feeling that I don't want to know what they're up to."

"I'll know soon." affirmed Komaeda as whisper like as possible. Normal person wouldn't be able to hear it, but since Hinata now also had Mioda's absolute pitch he of course heard it.

"What?"

"NOTHING!"

"For real?"

"I'm not complaining, but why we must perform biopsy in hospital?" changed topic Komaeda as they walked through Third Island, the main source of their electricity.

"You just don't want Tsumiki to be near you, right?" more stated the fact than asked Hinata in a bit cold way. It was more of Hinata way of speaking but Komaeda wasn't 100% sure.

"Ah, I got caught."

"As through, you are predictable." Hinata rolled his eyes. "Because all equipment is in the hospital? Never thought about it?"

"You won't be doing needle one?"

"No, sentinel. And, while we at it, resonance. I've never through I'll be happy because you didn't eat breakfast."

"Are you enjoining watching me eating?"

"I-I didn't meant it THAT way! By the way, you didn't eat anything while we left you?"

"No, I was just...thinking...about stuff." settled as an answer. The thought of admitting that he was thinking about his past made him feel ashamed. 

"I hope it wasn't about writing down a will or something" Hinata narrowed his eyes."It'll probably turns out to be an infection, you know."

"Then don't go around making ruckus about me having a cancer...again. People will laugh at you." Komaeda spread his arms, making sounds with his artificial one, and shook his head in disappointment. "You may have a title of 'Hope' but sometimes you can be so dumb, Hinata-kun"

"What would you all be doing if I didn't provide you with a little entertainment?" Hinata lightly bumbled Komaeda in the shoulder "You all needs this 'betting' thing." and then he smiled at him, making white-haired boy cower. That was the effect Hinata had on him. "I wanted to ask it earlier, why is Mioda giving you so many hairpins?"

"Who knows..." clearly ambiguous answer irritated Hinata, but he said nothing and simply waited. That was just one of example of Komaeda's teasing. "That's her way of giving me bad luck." came not so long after.

"Isn't getting present a good luck? Even if it look, well, you know, how should I say it..."

"Awful?"

"Grotesque."

They finally reached the hospital what marked an end to their conversation. Komaeda swallowed slightly, no matter how many years passed, hospitals always managed to make him feel uncomfortable. Hinata felt similar but was way better at hiding it, with a Super High School Level Actor talent being half a reason behind it.

The moment they opened the doors to the hospital's lobby they spotted a familiar pair of legs buried under a cartons.

"H-he-help me!" pledged them said legs winging around. Hinata only sighted defeated and started to pick up the boxes. 

"And you still ask why I don't want to be near Tsumiki-san" commented Komaeda but joined in helping Hinata with putting the mess aside.

"Don't be rude." scolded him Hinata but eyed the person on the ground. "But I must admit, I kinda get your point." he added in a whisper for what Komaeda thanked in similar manner. "Tsumiki, how did you end up this way?"

"I-I found some medication in the supply s-so I tried to s-segregate them and brought them here. A-and while I was doing it, all the boxes suddenly fell. I'm sorry!"

"You shouldn't have done it alone. Why didn't you call..."

"Tsumiki-san? I heard a scream WHOA!" from the hospital entrance showed itself a pile of boxes on two human legs, that turned out to be Mitarai. "What happened here?" came as soon as he dropped all the card boxes and pointed at Tsumiki still lying on the floor, Hinata leaning over her and Komaeda putting all the boxes on the neat pile that resembled pyramid.

"Tsumiki-san slipped." answered him Komaeda putting down last box on top of pyramid.

"Wah! Komaeda-san's here!" and just in a spit of second nurse was back on her feet grabbing Komaeda's wrist. The movement made Komaeda's hands miss aim and drop box before it could make pyramid complete. "Komaeda-san, get ready for the tests! Get off your clothes and metal items, then wait inside for both of us! I'll prepare a robe for you!"

And just like that, stuttering nurse showed him inside the examination room, leaving more confused than he was for the whole day.

"Pants too?"

~*~

"Komaeda-san, are you-WHOA!" Mitarai jumped in a surprise as he entered the examination room.

"I wasn't sure so I leaved pants." cheerfully answered Komaeda, folding his clothes and putting them down on a settee.

"T-shirt would be enough." mumbled Mitarai. Komaeda wasn't sure if Mitarai was annoyed, disgusted, or both.

"Wearing only t-shirt?"

"NOT wearing only t-shirt."

"But there is metal attached to trousers." Komaeda pointed to his zippers on the back pockets.

"Ignore him, that's how he cope with people around" Hinata assured Mitarai as he put a hand on Mitarai's shoulder and entered the room. "And you" Hinata pointed in Komaeda direction "next time I catch you messing with people I'll double your meals."

"That's cruel, Hinata-kun. And I wasn't messing with Mitarai-kun."

"You know how much you need to take off." stated Hinata, furrowing his eyebrows in annoyed way and crossing his arms. The voice of Kamukura Izuru, the posture of Hinata Hajime. Komaeda wasn't happy with this one. "Mitarai, let Tsumiki know to prepare equipment. Komaeda, sit on a settee."

"...why?" Komaeda tilted his head to the side while Mitarai ran from the room as fast as he could while occasion strikes. Afterall, the animator felt good around others only when he was accompanied by Imposter and, over the years, Tsumiki.

"Because I need to examine your nodes?" answered him Hinata, making it a rhetorical question as if it was obvious.

"Weren't you supposed to do a sentinel biopsy?" asked Komaeda as he looked at Hinata putting on gloves.

"Yeah, but I want to make sure everything is alright. Now, sit down."

 _Pure hell, it's a pure hell!_ went in Komaeda's mind on a loop as his personal form of denial. Because how else he was supposed to act? Hinata's hands were in gloves but their warmth still radiated through them. The light touch, as light as a butterfly's wing, touching his skin with methodical, calculated way, searching symmetrically for any anomaly on both sides of his body.

Firstly they touched area behind his ears and then went back to his head. Hinata's fingers examining his body felt more like a massage than examination he was used to. Hinata's face so close to Komaeda that boy was able to see darker spots in his heterochromatic eyes, especially in the green one. Furrowed eyebrows cast a shadow on his nose, subconscious symbol of a focus. Three freckles on his nose, visible only from so close and during summer season and close after its end. The lips that he always bites and probably were rough in touch. The hands moved on his face, staying close to a check bones, as if he wanted to cup his face. Komaeda tried with all his mind but circular system betrayed him sending a blush on his checks and neck, painting them in a light pink, like a ribbon that braided Natsumi's hair.

_I hope Hinata-kun won't read anything from this._

The hands moved lower, under Komaeda's chin and after a short moment went to his neck. Pale boy was sure his fastened heartbeat must be felt by Hinata's fingertips. The really gentle fingertips. Hinata's wrists were so close that Komaeda could see how joints and muscles are working under skin.

"Hey, easy there. You make me nervous." Hinata send him awkward smile. Komaeda only now realized that he was breathing faster than usual.

"Sorry."

"Nervous?"

"A little." admitted Komaeda with a smile. "That was the first time you run into me with files."

"What about it?" Hinata's hand again got lower, barely above Komaeda's collarbones.

"Whenever you found something you could just run and scream, never holding any papers."

"I still don't get it." One of gloved hands went to the back of Komaeda neck and stop itself at hairline, making him bent his head a little while the other hand examined area above his right collarbone. Komaeda could now count every wrinkle on the collar of Hinata's blue shirt.

"You know how for Sonia black cats are symbol of misfortune?" Hinata hummed as an answer in a way that would pass as yes and changed position of his hands so that now his left hand was examining. "It's the same for me with files."

"You're superstitious? I've would never thought so." The hands got lower again, examining Komaeda's right breast. Pale boy hardly remember his friend's hand to be this big - much wider than his poor, skinny chest. "I was sure you always believed in luck."

"I am, it's just...just that...Files have always meant that something bad, something 'unlucky' is on its way." Gloved hands moved under his right armpit. "Your profile, Funhouse, Hope's Peak, trip to Galápagos, my parents..." Hinata's fingers dug into his armpit. "Is-is this necessary?"

"You're ticklish?"

"N-no..."

"Then relax, it won't hurt this way."

 _Why is he so tense?_   Hinata thought while furrowing even more. _It's not like I'm doing it for the first time. But it sure was a while since the last one. And he still blushes out of embarrassment. How boring. Eat properly and you won't have a reason! But still...one felt enlarged a bit..._

After armpits came the turn for the back of arms, a little above elbows. Komaeda thanked his luck that his left side wasn't touched because he for sure would make some strange noises. The end of his left hand was more sensitive to the touch than any other place on his body.

"Lay down, I almost ended here."

Komaeda did as he was told, afterall it was an order. Friendly, but nonetheless order. And when his back finally touched settee it only started to get worse for him, because now it was a time for his groins. One hand on Komaeda'a thigh, with a little and ring finger nearly touching his scar leaved by Genocider Shou, the other under his boxers band tousled white, pubic hair.

_It's only a stupid check-up, what are you getting all red for?! Think about something, Nagito! Something different from Hinata-kun hand in your boxers! Twins ideas! Souda-kun thieving magazines from Hanamura-kun! Mioda-san's music! Yeah, this one works every time._

And with the mind full of Mioda's song Komaeda stopped paying attention to Hinata's hands on his thighs, hip bones and abdomen. His breath again became steady and touch no longer leaved his skin on fire.

"I'm done here. Let's make sure you don't have decapitating brain progression and that it's not a lymphoma." Hinata started to detach his artificial hand.

"I feel healthy just from Hinata-kun saying it." lied Komaeda with a smile, because white lies are needed in situations like this.

~*~

After the resonance was done and Komaeda finally could dress up back in his baggy t-shirt, work trousers and green parka that he still couldn't decide to throw away. Tsumiki took Hinata's place and was attaching back his artificial hand, talking with him and Mitarai at the same time. The animator was making some sort of cartoon for twins and was in need of voice actors and music. He, Tsumiki, Imposter and Peko already dubbed few of the characters but there still existed some that weren't possible for them to make, or at least Mitarai was insisting on it. Komaeda listened to this and politely declined voicing but promised to ask Sonia for it, and Mioda for composing some music if they are that desperate. Turned out they weren't but thanked him for proposing Sonia.

"What fairy tale are you making?" asked Hinata as he leaned against door frame. No one felt his presence till he spoke.

"Mainly Rapunzel, but I'm mixing some others too. Want to see a script?"

"Maybe later, I have one more patient today. Nidai complained about his heart." 

"Then I'll go, twins got missing...again." everyone sighted, suddenly tired by a simple mention of the little girls.

"Check out fourth island, I think Lord Chirpchirp run away and they're looking for him." advised Komaeda as he stretched his artificial fingers to check if his prosthesis is in the right place.

"WHAT?" shouted terrified Mitarai while at the same moment Tsumiki hugged his side trembling and making animator blushing and more at lost for words.

"Ugh, this again?" groaned Hinata, pinching his nose. "Whose idea it was to let two four years old girls raise a panther?"

"Guahahahahahaha!" a malicious laugh welcomed them from the direction of a window.

"Speaking of the Devil." commented Komaeda.

"Oh god, please not now..." begged under his breath Hinata. Of course his prayer was useless.

"Fear not, my dear plebeians." Tanaka's face showed on the other side of examination room window along with a long line of hamster on his forearms and head. During this season all the windows were open. "The black feline you all are-oh so afraid off-will not be running free any longer! My new barrier will keep its power sealed!"

"It destroyed the cage again, didn't it?" mater of fact asked Hinata without a need for an answer. This event, no matter how complicated, became predictable the moment Tanaka showed up.

"U-ugh, i-it appears that something forcibly took away my memories of the last few hours!" his hamsters chirped in a unison as if they were a spectators making surprised sound.

"Drop the act, you've grown out off chuunibyou, like, five years ago?" Blunt and sincere attitude. Hinata, definitely Hinata-esque behavior as stated Komaeda in his mind.

"Yes, it appears as you say."confirmed without a fight Tanaka, his hamster again chirping this time in disappointment. "The little demons freed free all of my pigeons, as some sort of stupid joke I believe, and hunting instinct of Lord Chirpchirp made her jumping fiercely which in effect made a sad end for one of the walls of the cage. Or so my investigation is saying."

"Little demons? Oh, you mean Natsumi and Haru-chan!" Komaeda clasped his hands. "While its offensive to call little girls like that, I can't say I disagree." some flashback from Towa city run before Komaeda's eyes. 

"Tanaka-san! Komaeda-san!" new face showed itself in the window, this time it was decorated by a golden like hair and one hamster on top of its head. "Your attitude toward this little girls is unforgivable! You should be ashamed!"

"I'm sorry Sonia-san." sincerely and fast apologized Komaeda, that fast and sincerely that it took Hinata of guard and made his eyes widening. He also made a mental note to ask Sonia about her techniques later.

"I beg for your mercy, oh wonderful queen of overseas lands, whose kindness is known to everyone and her beauty would put an Aphrodite to shame, whose hair are like sun rays and voice sounds like a thousands of nightingales and whose all this traits are emblazoned by scalds - Sonia Nevermind!" the more Tanaka was speaking, the less he was visible through a window, probably because he kneeled in front of Sonia. His hamsters making sounds every time he used a new term to describe princess.

"At this point, I'm not sure if he's acting or serious." mumbled Mitarai and Tsumiki nodded in agreement so hard that her a bit messy plait jumped on her back.

"Komaeda-san, I have come here to invite you to my cottage for a tea party and book discussion. Would you like to accompany me?" Sonia gracefully intertwined fingers of both of her hands and tilted head to a side with a smile. Exactly 4 degrees more than Komaeda as Hinata analysis stated.

"I don't..." it wasn't an order, it was an invitation, that little was clear for Komaeda. He looked back at Hinata for a permission. His friend smiled and waved off his hand giving him a clear sign. "Then I'll gladly go." and as he proclaimed it, Sonia and Tanaka pulled him out through the window.

"Hey!" Hinata upper part of body leaned over the frame. "At least use the doors! Why did I installed them if no one is using them?!" he yelled after them, totally ignored by a hamster's parents duo that abducted luckster.

"Dammit, why am I working so hard if none of you listen to me?" Hinata fully get back into the room, clearly annoyed by his friends behavior. "Tanaka is one thing, but Sonia? You would expect some kind of manners from a princess..."

"Y-you...Why did you let Komaeda-san go, Hinata-san?" Tsumiki asked him, finally releasing free Mitarai's arm.

"He's socializing so little that it's better to let him go when opportunity strikes." was Hinata's answer that they both acknowledged with a nod.

 _That's a lie. Or rather...half true?_  Hinata looked at the files in his left hand.

 _Yes_ , _he needs to spend time with other people, it's the best therapy possible for his mental state but there is one more thing._

 _I...much rather would like to tell him this in private. No need to, how did he said it? made a ruckus._   _And...I would like to know what was in your head for this time..._

The heterochromatic eyes looked up at the blue sky decorated by a fluffy clouds. They looked like a herd of sheep on a wide, blue field.

_Clouds, you can't tell what shape they'll take but you know that they mean storm...Just like this situation..._

And before he could think something more and sigh, two of his friend took action.

"Komaeda-san's results...they are bad, right?" hesitantly asked Mitarai with Tsumiki looking hopefully for Hinata.

"...how did you know?" Hinata upraised his eyebrows in a slight surprisement.

"You went out of trope." animator giggled on his own joke but again got serious. "If they were okay you would only scold him for eating habits and give some meds or vitamins." answered him petite guy. As a former animator finding tropes was for him as easy as walking.

"I'm not scolding him about food this much..." admitted somehow ashamed and embarrassed Hinata, scratching his scar at the back of his head.

"You actually are...Souda-san and Sai were betting how many times you've said it last week." informed him Mitarai, even more hesitant than before.

"Is there a thing that you're _NOT_ betting on?" Hinata groaned in response for his friends idea of fun. "Souda lost, am I right?"

"He bet 13. Sai 26. He had to bid goodbye to his console."

"How did you know how many of them there was?"

"Souda-san took Komaeda-san's arm and..."

"Okay, I get it." stopped him middle sentence Hinata and pinched his own nose. "Didn't I told him to _NOT_ install stupid thing in his arm?"

"Yes, 47 times this week...more or less." answered him timidly Tsumiki, flinching a fabric of her hospital green uniform.

"You've also bet on this..." groaned again Hinata with somehow hurt expression but clear voice at the same time.  

"N-no, we've just count it out of boredom." corrected him nurse avoiding eye contact.

"We?"

"M-me, Mitarai-san, Sonia-san and Mioda-san..."

That was it. Hinata Hajime heard enough of this today. He needed a break from his-friends-ideas-of-fun and had to put his mind in a work for something useful. Actually useful. Even if idea of having aquapark along with lunapark on Fourth Island was tempting it had to wait (but he was still going to ask Souda to make waterboard sliding later).

"Mitarai, I don't want to be rude but weren't you supposed to go on a  _Kids Hunting_?"

"Ah, that's right! I'm sorry!" and just like that he run out of the room.

 _At least he uses doors._ commented after his leave Hinata before he faced Tsumiki.

"It's bad, right?" asked him again nurse, this time with a strong and clear voice.

"Look for yourself." was his answer as he pushed a papers into her hands. And so Hinata waited for her to finish reading and concentrated himself on finding out clouds shapes and theirs changes based on a wind. He came to conclusion of monsoon being in eight days and transporting food to shelter, when nurse poked him in the arm to catch his attention.

"You sure you injected him with the right substance?" she asked just to be sure.

"You think I would be mistaken?" asked her Hinata uprising his eyebrows.

"N-no! No! I! I would never..." she quickly started to apologizing out of old habit.

"I wish I was...." Hinata pointed to his friend resonance "His brain condition doesn't change, he takes his medicines as prescribed but...sentinel is hardly seen." he pointed to areas that based on his medical knowledge of Super High School Level Doctor were meant to be blue but appeared as a black spots.

"Are we doing radiology again?"

"We may start soon, if he agrees..."

"But you also doesn't think it'll do much?"

"This is his third, according to my analysis the chances of his survival are below 30%. He'll be lucky if he lives to the next hot season." as he realized what he said he shook his head and corrected himself. "Scratch that, it's _Komaeda_. He _DEFINITELY_ survives till the next summer, the point is how long he gonna survive and in what state." Tsumiki put her hand on his shoulder and smiled encouragingly.

"We just have to do everything we can. Like the last time. And before the last time. And before that one too."

"When did you become so reliable?" half joked, half seriously asked nurse Hinata but it had opposite effect than the one he expected the most.

"AH! I shouldn't speak, right? Y-y-you hate m-m-me now, right? Forgive me! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Tsumiki, stop! I-I didn't mean to be rude!"

_I've fucked up a months of therapy. Fan-fucking-tastic. Great job, Hajime!_

"I-I know, that I, a-aren't as im-important _hic!_ for you as _hic!_ Komaeda-san _hic!_ B-But I still want to help him!" Hinata pulled tissue out of the box and passed it to now crying nurse. She blew in it so hard that new one was needed immediately. "I-I-I, I just want to help everyone! E-Even if, that person doesn't like me! _Hic!_ "

"What are you talking about?" Hinata gave her a third tissue, this time she finally used it to wipe her tears off. "We all here are friends and important for each other. There's no way he dislikes you. The same goes for me."

"Hinata...san..." Tsumiki suddenly jumped at him and put her hands around his torso. If he didn't spot the way her leg muscles moved and steady himself in time, she would have thrown him off-balance. "I'll do anything in my power to assist you and help cure us all!" declared nurse, her voice muffled because of his shirt.

_'Cure us all' you say? I don't know why you trusting me this much, but I certainly don't mind. For people here I'm willing to do anything. Even if I already know the endgame score, I'll still try to change that...because 'if you try, things will work somehow'. Right, Nanami?_

_I'll make sure to save everyone you loved, using everything I have. Because...that's what hope is, right? Relationships, friendship, love - it doesn't matter what form they'll take, they are still our hope. I just have to do it again, like the last time._

 

**Hinata Hajime(?) memory #Curing Komaeda's brain(?)**

**age: 27**

 

I was marching through a hospital corridor almost jumping from happiness. I was right, I was useful, I've helped a friend again! It was a different type of help than waking up all of them from Program, but it still required many effort, loss of sleep, exchanging talents and listening to Tsumiki's cries but in the end I reached the goal. Now I only need to get into the boss room, leave message and the quest will be complete. Wait, what is it? Is my brain raising a psychological barrier using game references? Or maybe my talent of Super High School level Gamer kick in? Or maybe I just spend too much time with Neo World Program that now I can't exist without thinking about my surroundings as a game? Wait, what am I thinking again?!

I finally reached doors of my destination and stopped for a moment to prepare myself. I don't want to spoil surprise the very moment I enter the patient room. So I thought about my constructions plans for a bridge and the Izuru Kamukura took a lead, quickly changing face impression to a bored one and surrounding me aura.

The doors made some noise while I opened, I'll need to came here later with an oil. And paint them again. Someone, I'm sure it were twins for about 86%, came here with pencils and decorated lower part of them. Komaeda lied in a bed with i.v. in one hand and book in the other. Quick glance at a cover gave me a feeling of either romance or slice-of-life. Probably present from Sonia, who tried to dispose of it after being it given by Souda. He didn't pull his eyes away from it, meaning he was deeply into its world.

"Interesting story?" as I asked in a bored tone he finally looked my way, tilting head by a 7 degrees.

"It's not bad but I wouldn't recommend it." came an answer 1.4 seconds after my question. His eyes squirted by 0.4 mm, as if he was searching for something or analyzing the very thing in front of him."It's certainly better than that Sonia-san manga from spiritual robot universe."

"Everything is better than her mangas." I reminded him shrouding shoulders. His eyes were squirted now only by 0.2 mm. "But that's not the case, I came here with a message."

"Oh, then sit-I'm sorry, there aren't any chairs. To forget something so easily, it's truly a stupid thing even for someone with a poor brain. I couldn't even remember something so trivial. I'm truly a low human."

"Okay, first - stop with the self-deprecating." his rumbling stopped as I sat down on his bed, carefully looking out to not sit on his leg.

_At least you started to see yourself  as a human being. I can work more with it._

"Speaking about your brain, here comes the second part." I made a dramatical pause, waiting for his reaction. The only thing I was given was a tilt of head by 2 degrees to the other side. Clearly annoyed by his lack of emotion I crossed my arms.

"Are you mad?" Komaeda asked with a worry. I'm only 63% sure that it's out concern for me. There is this 35% that's saying he's worried that it was his fault. And 2% of other category, because one cannot always understand what's in Komaeda's head. 

"No." my answer was so fast that it was logical to think it meant 'yes'.

"No? You clearly look like you are. I must have read it wrong, I'm sorry." For a moment he was just looking at me with a curiosity mixed with worry. "Then, whats wrong?"

"Nothing...I just have a poor audience." I mumbled as quiet as I could.

"What?"

"Nothing! Getting back to the point" I smiled as wide as I could "I have a great news! You probably noticed but I've changed some of your medications..."

"That's explain why I felt nauseous two weeks before." he admitted out loud with two fingers on his chin.

"I've tried to perform test therapy on you, sorry for not saying a word."

"I don't mind, Hinata-kun." he waved off his hand "It's you and your wonderful talents to make use of this body of mine. If it's needed I'm not mad." If you didn't knew Komaeda long enough you wouldn't notice how fake his smile can look and the way he accents some words when he doesn't like some idea.

"You're lying..."

"But it would be nice to know it beforehand." admitted Komaeda and looked back at me examining my face.

"Why aren't you admitting it from the start? That attitude of yours is boring."

"I'll try harder next time! So, what were you going to say, Hinata-kun?"

"Komaeda..."

"Yes, Hinata-kun?"

"I've cured your brain."

"..."

Silence. Not exactly what I expected but not a shock either. Some lose ability to speak for a few seconds when they hear a shocking news. But I wouldn't mind a 'wha?! Seriously?! Thank you!' or something like that, even if I was truly prepared for 'That's amazing, Hinata-kun! As expecting of Super High School Level Hope!'

"Well, it's sounds cool but it's not exactly that." I continued as nothing came from my audience but it was more of a rumble than actual explanation or wonderful speech that I prepared yesterday. "I was only able to slow down your brain cells from further degeneration and didn't make progress on growing back your brain tissues. Now that I speak about it I feel ashamed. I just wanted to tell you that I'm probably on a right track to...Komaeda?"

Komaeda didn't utter a word, not even move an inch of any part of his body. He was only staring at his laps, slow breathing movement of his chest was the only thing that differed him from a statue. I put hand on his right shoulder and waited for his reaction. After exactly 4 seconds he slowly rose his head, his face still emotionless but eyes were a poodles where various type of emotions were fighting against each other. Kamukura Izuru would never name any of it, Hinata Hajime with a little bit of a help from one of artificial talent was able to almost manage it. There were fear, happiness, disbelief, denial, acceptance and the most important out of it - hope and despair.

"Okay, I'm here. Breath, Komaeda, and tell how you feel."

"How...I feel? Haha, we aren't at the therapy." he attempted to joke but under my gaze get back on track. "I...I...I...I don't know how to say it. I want to be happy, it's a wonderful news!

"But?"

"As expected of Hinata-kun! He never misses anything about me! What kind of talent is it? Artificial Super High School Level Psychologist?

"For God sake, answer me!"

"Why are you asking God for help?"

" _Komaeda..."_

"There is...nothing interesting to say by someone like me. It's as predictable as shattering your glass on the tiling." he made a break to laugh in this creepy way of him that he mastered to keep people away. "I can't help it but be paranoid. My luck never miss an opportunity to strike." it's a shame to admit, but only now I noticed how his hands were shaking; how stiffen his arms were; how different his voice sounds, as if his throat was tight. "What's going to happen with everyone? What's going to happen with you? With Tanaka-kun's animals? With islands?"

_How deep that paranoia of yours have roots? I know why you are afraid, I get it perfectly but...what can I do to free you from it?_

"Komaeda, remember what have I said to you at the beach? My luck rivalize with yours, as long as we are together nothing truly bad will happen. Yes, you still be hit with coconuts in the head, have birds poop on yourself or wet shoes after trip to the beach but nothing major. You. Are. Safe. Nothing will happen."

"Then...I think I must be sad."

_Sad?_

"My eyes...they're inching." he looked right into mine clearly being two steps from letting tears run free. "I feel like crying and it's stupid to cry out of happiness."

"You're allowed to. It's not stupid, it's called human emotions. Go on, cry. There's no one beside me."

"Hi...nata...kun..." he managed through his tightening throat getting slowly overwhelmed by emotions.

"Hmm?"

"What...what talent...told you this?"

_How many times have I heard this question already? Around 673 more or less but that's not important now._

"None. It's called being a friend, Komaeda."

"So...I am allowed...to be happy?"

"Of course you are. Everyone is. So tell me, how are you feel?"

There came a pause during which his face wasn't visible due to his hair covering his face. My hair is already irritating the way they are and he keeps his so long, how he manages it? There wasn't any movement from him for a while until he finally raised his head, showing me his checks wet from tears, glistening in a dim light of table lamp, and red eyes. His covers got decorated by three tears falling on them, making a shape of triangle.

"Hinata-kun, I'm happy. So happy that you can't even imagine! Even...even if you had a title of Super High School Lever Imagination, you still wouldn't make up to my sum! I'm...I'm so happy! I'm so happy that it wouldn't surprise me if I died the next week!"

"Komaeda!"

"I'm sorry! I don't know...I don't know...I don't know how to say it properly!"

 

_Komaeda always looked at the world different way from us all but the case of it were his past experience and psychological barrier. Once you understood it, he wouldn't seem weirder than Tsumiki or Nidai. It took a lot of time to make him talk with someone other than me and socializing but he pulled it. Thanks to Mioda's help though but still. It would be a waste of time if he died now, after all this effort we put into him._

 

That was their reality and the future they have chosen. Little did they know what awaited them in there. How many smiles, laughs, tears and talks awaited for them. And what type of sadness was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *resonance - before you go there you can't eat and have metal objects on yourself  
> *sentinel biopsy - in a nutshell, you inject in lymph nodes and look were drug didn't reach. The place it stays is the place of alteration  
> *Black cats - while Europe and America sees them as a "bad luck" in Japan they are actually a symbol of "good luck". That's the reason they are viewed different by Komaeda and Sonia.  
> *lymph node exam - the way it's presented here is about half corrected. Lymphatic system isn't my strong point so I've done as much as I remember from lectures  
> All right I've pulled it! Now's the time to get back to writing essay for the end of semester. Ugh. See you. Till my spirit get resurrected again.


	5. Importance of bets

The Jabberwock Island was a place closed off to the world, with its own law and rights. If you start to think this way then the escapes of a random animals won't look so out of place. This kind of things were rather common since Kuzuryuu twins hit the age of two. Their curious and adventurous nature made them do all sorts of things that were giving headaches - and more - to their parents and surrounding them people. It was only during this times that some inhabitants of Jabberwock Island wished for Komaeda's luck to return in its great glory. As unpredictable as it was, it still was helpful in a situations like this one.

The black panther, that twins named Lord Chirpchirp - reasons behind it remained unknown - was occupying the top of their ferris wheel on the Fourth Island. Mitarai had a poor luck to be signed to the team of catchers and prayed for Tanaka's return so he would quickly do something about it. He didn't saw Tanaka since the moment of his escape from the hospital and findind information that his hamsters are his top priority and always come first ("I will not let any fellows of mine become, no matter how noble, a sacrifice"). With this Tanaka disappeared into the woods, looking for the rest of his little army. The other "lucky" person to accompany him was Souda, clearly angry at the fact that he was dragged off from a work for the sake of Hunting. Yes, he didn't liked repairing wooden stuff but since he ended with the track he had time to try out new parts in a accumulators of the roller coaster. The rides ware awful, this belief of his didn't changed and probably never will, but the gears were giving him chills (He needed to talk with Hinata about adding a water slide or something along the lines).

"Get off here, you friggin' furball!" yelled Souda and waved with his hand at the panther to accompany this words. The only response he was given was a soft roar.

"M-maybe we shouldn't..." started Mitarai, afraid about his safety. Yes, the panther was domestic but it didn't meant that it wouldn't find a reason to attack and made lunch out of them. Situations like this were common in a comedies and street performances he used to watch.

"COME DOWN HERE, YOU ASSHOLE!" repeated Souda even louder than before, ignoring Mitarai's timid attempt to soothe him down. The panther in question only yawned at them as if trying to say 'you're annoying, get lost yourself'.

"S-Souda-san?"

"Geez, that's why I hate animals!" his eyes traveled in the direction of the first island. "Where is this Dr Doolittle when you need him?" saying this Souda rubbed his hair, with half of his bangs tied into a ponytail. Mitarai's only response was an awkward laugh.

"I think he garners his army of the Tanaka Empire or something." came a serious answer as soon as Mitarai put a finger on his own chin in thought.

"Don't use this name, it's awful."

"S-sorry"

"By the way" Souda turned his head at the shorter partner, slight curiosity dwelling in his eyes "What's the deal with Komaeda? Again some pregnancy shit? Or new illness?"

"It's after the bet time" came heartless answer from Mitarai who didn't dare to look anywhere but at the panther.

"Shit!" Souda cursed silent enough to be heard only by those standing close but still loud enough for their target to react. The panther roared at them and jumped a bit further down but stopped as if realizing it wasn't meant for her. The only afterwards of this were shaking railways and a strange position that both of the hunters ended up.

"Good, she stopped." Souda sighted with a relief.

"S-Souda-san? Could you stop grinding at my trousers, please?"

"Wha-I'm not doing it!" Souda denied loosening his grip at the said trousers crotch and got up at his feet nonchalantly, removing invisible dust from his knees. "So, who won? I bet my cap it was either Kuzuryuu or Sai."

"Sai didn't participated."

"How happen? He's the one who runs it!" Souda crossed his arms and looked at Mitarai's green jacket with an anger - the jacket that he once was an owner. "Not to mention he stole my business."

"You just once opened a bookmaker office and closed it down after you've lost every bet." stated mater-of-fact Mitarai, avoiding eye contact with the sulking partner.

"But I still started it!" Souda again started to rub his hair in a frustration before calming down. "So, what's going on now?"

"Komaeda-san has fainted shortly after you had parted ways and it turned out he has a cancer." summarized Mitarai, looking for any sign of Tanaka's return. They were pretty easy to find - the moment you spotted at least three hamsters in a line walking like a soldiers you were certain that Tanaka is close by. Sadly Mitarai didn't found any sign of the rodents being nearby.

"What? Again? That sucks." Souda sighted with a disappointed "I hoped for something along pregnancy thing again, not 776th false diagnosis for a cancer. How am I supposed to make fun of Hinata if he still reuses the same sickness."

"Make fun?" Mitarai unconsciously repeated after him.

"So, what cancer it's this time?"

"Lymphoma."

"That's even worse." Souda put his hands on the hips and shook head "He just made a sickness-circle! Thanks to this weirdo I'll again loose to many stuff."

"..." Mitara didn't bothered to rebut with this one, instand he tried another approach. "Souda-san, aren't you just angry at the fact that Komaeda-san and Mioda-san were a thing?"

"S-SHUT up! It was ages ago! And has nothing to do!"

_**Raaawr** _

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Buahahahaha!" Tanaka laughed loudly to annunciate his arrival, surrounded by a thousands of hamsters walking in a formations like a soldiers. "I have returned from the Great Council of a Da-Hmmm? Why is it the craftsman are ambushing a crotch of the pictures aliver?"

 

***

A thing such as secret didn't existed for the members of the 77th class or rather - it's better to say - weren't given a chance to live long. If at least three people knew about it, it was bounded to spread to the others no longer than a week after. Almost as if it was some sort of plague nearly on the same level as bubonic plague. Hiding it was useless because there was always that one person that needed to know everything about everybody. And this person was Sai-previously called Super High School Level Imposter - the one who has decided to run a bookmaker office. After he has found out how his classmates were bored and Hinata's ideas weren't lasting for long, he decided to take an action. Yes, parties, exploring, courage tests, sleepovers and contests were fun but after a while even them starts to get boring (and if the previous squad of the 77th class was bored, he was scared what was running through Hinata's head).

And that's the story behind betting addiction that all of them gained after the Tragedy. Since money didn't hold a power on their land - or outside either - they used their belongings and desserts for a wagers as if they were in a primary school (or rehab, according to Sonia's knowledge). There were times when some of them has been starving for a three days, wearing only underwear because they got broke. So no matter how much Hinata hated the idea of the bets (especially the ones concerning him and his medical knowledge) he let it slip, seeing as everybody was happy with it - his pride be damned.

"SAI-SAN!" Hanamura barged into the hotel magazine that a previous Imposter remade for his office.

"Hmm? What's happened? Peko is pregnant again? Or Sonia got a boyfriend?" asked Imposter in his Izayoi Sonosuke outfit. His recent hobby became dressing up as all the previous members of the Future Foundation.

"N-no...it's not like that. But I wished it was me..."

"You what?" asked confused Imposter, putting down - belonging once to Koizumi - necklace.

"Both of them..." answered dreamily tiny cook with a drool on his lips and a trace of blood from his nose.

"You're still as disgusting as ever." sighted disgusted Imposter, averting his eyes from the classmate. "So, what happened then?"

"Even after giving birth to the twins she still has a wonderful figure..."

"Hanamura..."

"And Sonia-san too! This European, cold beauty..."

"Hanamura, I'm serious."

"Having both of them...at the same time..."

"Hanamura! Get to the point."

"Oh, right!" as fast as clipping with finger Hanamura got to the main point of his visit "Komaeda-san is sick again! Hinata-san took him to the hospital and there was no trails of blood on him!"

"Are you sure?"

"I've also heard that he had collapsed this morning."

"Hanamura" Imposter stood up from a chair and rushed towards a doors, sparing only one quick glance at his deputy "spread the news. And while you at it, ask everyone you find to come to the hospital!"

" _Oui!_ "

***

_How could this happen to me?_

That was the perfect statement that Hinata formed as soon as he spotted half of this land inhabitants in front of the hospital with Imposter at the fore.

"Let me guess, Souda spilled the bills and you all come to check?"

" _Non non,_ Hinata-san" assured him Hanamura "we came to check and see what kind of sickness you invented this time."

"And you were the one who thought about that..." accused Hinata eyeing Imposter, this time dressed as a Great Gozu. Most people out there would start to state how wrong it looked but his classmates stopped to care about stuff like that or were too much tired to even attempt to do it.

"This I can't deny." came a muffled voice from behind the mask.

"Hey, Hinata-oni!" Saionji looked at him past the Imposter's right side "How is your skeleton guinea pig feels? I bet my gummies that you finally overdosed him!"

"Weren't they lemon-flavored?" asked quietly Koizumi as she leaned from behind Saionji.

"Got it, Saionji Hiyoko - back of gummies for an overdosing..." mumbled under his nose Imposter as he scribbled it down on a clipboard.

"W-wait, you Porkfeet! I-I didn't said that!" argued Saionji as she grabbed his elbow in a poor attempt of stopping it.

"Hinata, have you seen Haruko and Natsumi?" asked Peko as she stepped forward, slight panic heard in her voice. "It was a while since Fuyuhiko send them to Tanaka."

"I bet my shoes that they both got eaten by that awful cat-like thing." snickered Saionji, still holding Imposter's elbow in both of her hands.

"Okay, Saionji Hiyoko..."

"Don't write it down, you Fat-For-Brain Idiot!"

"Mitarai went with Tanaka to the Forth Island to catch Lord, so I think they are nearby." after soothing panicking mother, Hinata's gaze traveled from left to the right. "So, you want the diagnosis?"

"HELL YEAH!" Nidai and Owari shouted in unison with both of their hands raised high. At the same time Tsumiki showed up at the hospital entrance.

"Tsumiki, fill them in." ordered Hinata as he practically crammed into her hands tests results the very moment she stopped at his side "I need to help on the Forth Island."

 _I bet all of my ties that something happened there._ ended in his mind Hinata as he headed towards the docks. _Not on the level of getting eaten, true, but you can expect unexpectable whenever you think about ideas of some personas here..._

"Eh~?! I don't want to hear it from a barf pig!"

"B-barf pig?!"

"Hiyoko-chan..."

***

While Komaeda had nothing to a Sonia's tea party - they were as fancy as she could provide on this island with all the little sandwiches, cupcakes or cute cookies that looked like they were pulled out from a Marie Antoinette's table, with a surprisingly great tea made by princess - the only issue of them was that she was bonded to, sooner or later, bring in Mioda. And Komaeda wasn't the biggest fan of this combo, especially when he was alone.

But this time he felt something was different - even if on the first glance not much changed inside the cottage. The atmosphere there was so thick that he felt as if he could cut it with a knife. A bed with a white canopy, white dressing table with a mirror in a frame decorated by sculpted roses, grey sofa with a pink cushions and big bookcase with her favorite occult books, some romances and mangas. So familiar, yet something wasn't right.

"May you take a sit, Komaeda-kun?" Sonia asked gently as she pointed with her hand to the sofa. "I shall prepare a tea for both of us." with this words she laid down on a table two of Tanaka's hamsters that were always accompanying her. Was it hamster will or Tanaka's order - Komaeda wasn't sure.

"Ummm, no problem." hummed Komaeda as he sat down on the previously pointed sofa.

"What would you like to drink? I still have some of the Chinese leaves and a bit of Sakura's petals. But with this cheesecake I would recommended a chamomile one."

"I leave the choice to you." came Komaeda's answer. As always he leaved this decision to his host.

As soon as Sonia heard it she proceed to fire up a little hearth. Two hamsters - creamy one named Cheesecake and black one named Bean - were watching carefully her every movement as if something would happen to her at any given moment. The exact moment Sonia hung a kettle above a fire, hamsters heads snapped in the unison at the door with a squick - which in the exact moment were loudly opened by a Mioda.

"Nagito-chan!" she screamed and threw herself at the luckster, which ended up with both of them laying awkwardly on the sofa. "Nagito-chan!" she said again as she rubbed her cheek against his chest. 

"While I do not intend to interfere with your affair, I would be thankful if the phrase 'get a room' did not implied my cottage." even if Sonia was using her diplomatic tone, a slight irritation was still possible to hear under one of the many layers of a political correctness.

"Whoa!" with this sound Mioda changed her position from a laying hug to a sitting on Komaeda's chest, which didn't make him happy at all. "What a bold thing to say, Sonia-chan!" stated a loudly girl while straddling a pale boy between her thighs, unconsciously constricting his breath and making him even more pale than usual. "But let Ibuki say this, she didn't went through a first phase of a  _Rock and Roll!_ with Nagito-chan since a Cake-chan's _birth-name_!" as she said that she pointed at the creamy hamster with her finger, which currently decided to wash its fur. The black one looked at her curiously for a moment before making a decisions about stuffing up his check pouches. 

"M-Mioda...san...would you..." trailed off Komaeda trying to - without much of a success - gently push lively girl off him. He started to work out with Nidai and Owari (mainly because Hinata has been nagging him about it and at one point Komaeda came to a conclusion that if he hears it two more times he'll snaps and do something dangerous) and improved his stamina a bit but building a muscles and building a strength were two different things.

"Beside-ah!" Mioda again tried to make some pose but lost her balance and flipped back. Thanks to this gymnastic show she managed to made her black boots with a decoration of a bats wings on both sides visible in front of Komaeda's face. It didn't took long before she recovered from it and sat comfortably on the sofa on the left side of Komaeda. "Ibuki would _NEVER_ get in the way of her ship! Sonia-chan feels the same, right?"

"This is certainly a truth, Mioda-san." Sonia agreed with a gentle nod, putting in front of them cups with a painted yellow roses - a present from Souda for her birthday which he personally picked up on the land.

Komaeda's only reaction was a groan with a strange mixture of an irritation, shame and embarrassment - mainly with the last one ingredient. No matter how many times he has heard about it, he still would pull down the same reaction. Shortly after his affair with Mioda has started, she and Sonia dedicated their lives to a mission of getting him and Hinata into a romantic relationship. Reasons behind it stayed unknown for him and he hoped no one on the island knew how serious both of girls were about it.

"Komaeda-san..." after a short moment of a both girls giggling, Sonia decided to - finally - approach what she had in mind when she invited him for a tea "We all are well averred of the condition you currently are in but when I saw Hinata-san in the hospital today I could not stop thinking how preoccupied he looked. This leads me to my question - Komaeda-san, is it...fatal this time? Pardon me for this question but I can not shake off this feeling of..."

"Yes, it is" Komaeda answered simply trying to find a more comfortable position on the sofa "It seams my luck has run out..."

"No way!" Mioda waved her hand in front of her face, a wide smile still on her face. "Hajime-chan loooves to exaggerate things! He has made, like, you know, more missgnosis that Ibuki wears hairpins! And she wears a hella lot of them!" to accompany this fact she pulled out of the pockets of her blue shorts a handfull of a said hairpins. Needless to say she would almost build up a wall of a cottage using just them.

"This is right!" agreed Sonia "Hinata-san has a bad habit of over exaggerating, Komaeda-san! This must be indeed another case of his overprotective attitude."

"Mhm-mhm, that's exactly it Sonia-chan." Mioda crossed her arms and nodded "Nagito-chan, we all know how much you like death but this time it was truuuuly an awful joke! As awful as eating pizza with ketchup! As playing guitar part of  _Highway to Hell_ on a piano!"

"But what if this time he was right?" dwelled Komaeda putting his chin on hand that wasn't made of metal.

" _Na_ gito-chan!" Mioda moved closer to him, almost sitting down on his laps, to yell into his ear. Komaeda winced for a second but quickly cowered it up "Ibuki didn't allowed you to speak like this! Y-You know...if you...you..." Mioda's eyes became watery and she hardly could talk without her throat tightening.

"I know" Komaeda patted the navy head with a smile on his face "you won't be able to fulfill your duty as a _Pretty Warriors of BL,_ right?  _Sailor Seme-chan._ " Komaeda chuckled at the awful joke that the girls invented years ago. He half expected them to start performing trained poses without much meaning.

"Well, we both intend to make you confess your, not so well hidden, affection for Hinata-san." reprimanded him Sonia petting one of the hamster. Her words initiated a light blush on Komaeda's cheeks.

"I-It's not like that!" rebutted Komaeda "I've told you that I don't hold such a feelings for Hinata-kun." ended luckster with a pout. Both girls squirted their eyes as if they were saying _'oh really?'_ and somehow it worked better than saying it out loud.

"Nagito-chan, denial is an awful thing." Mioda poked him playfully in a forehead "Get out off the closet, it won't make a world collapse!"

"It's not like that!" Komaeda averted eyes of the two girls. At this moment Sonia decided to pour a tea in their teacups and the flower aroma started to float inside cottage. "Beside, no one beside you two thinks this way."

"Correction! Only Kazuichi-chan doesn't thinks this way!"

"Indeed" Sonia took a sip of her tea "he is not the most perceptive person in this field."

Komaeda's blush got bigger and he tried to cover it up with a sleeve of his blouse. Girls only giggled at this sight and the idea of him as their little sister that had to deal with her first crush again bloomed in their minds. It was wrong to threat Komaeda as a girl but they couldn't help the fact that he acted like a typical shoujo heroine when it came to love.

" _Ne ne_ , Nagito-chan" Komaeda carefully looked to his left on a sitting cross-legged Mioda "why did you fall in love with Hajime-chan?"

"Oh, this is indeed an interesting aspect to ask a question!" Sonia clasped both of her hands and the sound it made scared one of the hamsters "Well, Komaeda-san, would you mind enlighting us in this area?" she asked, again taking in her hands a teacup and saucer.

"I'm not sure myself that I can answer this." Komaeda replied looking at his reflection inside teacup. His cheek bones and veins became more visible than he wanted it to admit. "Because I'm not in love with Hinata-kun!"

"Nagito-chan!" Mioda again yelled into his ear, this time he didn't covered it but thunderous girl didn't seem to care about little stuff like that. "You have hots for Hajime-chan! So-so-so-so big hots going! It is so hot that Ibuki sweats from it right now!"

"Oh I apologize, I did not turn on the air-conditioner" Sonia said quickly.

"Damn!" Mioda continued without missing a beat "If it was a song Ibuki would have called it  _I wanna bang my best friend but I'm afraid he's straight!"_

"Mioda-san!" Sonia shouted at the currently pretending to play on a guitar girl. Little did she know that musician already started to create a lyrics to this song.

"As lively and loud as always. That's in some way impressing, Mioda-san." was the only comment that Komaeda decided to let leave his mouth. "I don't think I remember that many times when you weren't actually..." 

 _"Hiya!_  " one of the Mioda's hand shoot up like a rocket to accompany her next words. "Ibuki got an idea! She's a true genius!" she shouted again and waved her hands around to empathize with this statement. Komaeda only thankfully to his luck wasn't hit in the face by them. "Nagito-chan needs to tell Ibuki and Sonia-chan his memories with Hajime-chan!"

"...And why is that? I do not think I understand that sort of a plan, much less Komaeda-san here."

"Kyach-hahaha! Let Ibuki explain then!" she paused to make a perfect circle using her wrists that ended up in a finger guns pointing at Komaeda. "You look at them different way than we, right? Right? This way there won't be more room for a debate!"

"So basically, you are trying to say that Komaeda-san will go through a therapy with us?" suggested Sonia, slightly uprising her eyebrows.

"Well...Yes! That's totally it!"

"How delightful!" finally decided princess, taking a sip of her tea.

"Isn't it? Ibuki has read it in one manga!"

"Why?" asked dumbfounded Komaeda, his eyes jumping from the one girl to the other even after their exchange ended. "Why do you want to do this?"

"EH? Isn't it obvious? We like you Nagito-chan! You're a friend of Sonia-chan and Ibuki!"

"And one of friends responsibilities is helping eachother, no matter what type of a problem approaches them."

"..." Komaeda wanted to say something, anything but his brain didn't knew a words that would be appreciated enough.

"Plus, we don't want you to end up in a Purgatory with a cute girl being an Angel that Ibuki would totally date!"

"With that said, if you truly think you will leave this world soon" Sonia put her cup and saucer down on a table "then you should share your opinions with us and leave this world with answered questions, clear conscience and free of regrets."

"Ibuki will be your private psychiatrist!" announced Mioda grabbing Komaeda by his left arm. Her bracelets jingled when they met a metal of his arm.

"I believe the proper term is psychologist." Komaeda absentmindedly corrected the girl.

"Ibuki got dissed by Nagito-chan! Again! Nagissed!"

"Well then, Komaeda-san" Sonia tilted head to a side and interwinded her fingers with a grace that only a princess can manage "would you kindly supply us in those informations?"

"I feel honored that you want to hear a boring story of my life but I must refuse." Komaeda tilted his head to a side and shrugged his shoulders "This isn't a thing that I would like to share with anyone."

"Komaeda-san!" Sonia leaned over him cutting out his last way of an escape. With Mioda holding his arm and armrest on the other side he was truly trapped in, like a bird in a cage."We do not intend to pry into your secrets. This is certainly in no interest of mine and Mioda-san here." Komaeda would have dwelled for an hours how the last part wasn't true but at the last second decided to bite his tongue. "We only are worried about you and wish for the best for you."

"Thank you, Sonia-san but..."

"Hiyaaaaaaaaaaa!" a loud, child-like scream echoed through the island. All three members of the tea party rushed to a cottage window, or rather Mioda rushed rather clumsy, loosing her balance so many times that she could compete with Tsumiki, Sonia moved with this strange way that wasn't a walking but was still far from a running and Komaeda simply followed behind them. The battle for a window was pointless in his case, height difference didn't existed for him as long as Nidai wasn't in the room, but the girls crumpled to get the best possible view on a - 

"They are going to murder me!"

\- one of the twins, desperately trying to run away from Souda whose jumpsuit was in shreds. The only parts that still were clinging to his frame were his right sleeve and upper halves of pantlegs. Not the best scenery to find out.

"Come here you spawn of the devil!" with a voice full of anger and on the verge of madness Souda shouted at the young girl. In his hand a bunch of wrenches rattled as if to sympathize with his murder intend.

"I'll tell dad!"

"Oh, so it's Haruko-chan." commented Mioda.

"You can tell them by a ribbons." Komaeda reminded her pointing at the black ribbon in the little girl's blonde hair.

"Souda-san!" Sonia yelled, making a person in question stop "I did NOT gave anyone a permission to call a children by those awful names!"

"I-I-I-I, w-well, i-it's not like, ugh" stuttered Souda, desperately trying to find a words that would save him from this situation. "FORGIVE ME MISS SONIA!" were the ones that he settled for, earning a sight from Mioda.

"Lame" Mioda mumbled as a comment for this whole picture. Komaeda only nodded with a hum in a agreement.

"I may be willing to consider it, but now it would be appreciated if you explained the reason behind your current appearance."

"We had a problem with a Lord and...it didn't went like we planned."

"I imagine that..."

"Why didn't you asked Gundam-chan for a help?"

"They did." answered in unison Komaeda and Sonia.

"Whoa! Lord must then really hate Kazuichi-chan."

"Oh! Komaeda's here! Great, I have a question for you!" announced cheerfully Souda. Both girls looked at the boy behind them with a surprise on their a faces clear as a day. Even if all of them had buried the hatchet that was the events of a killing game, the amount of times Soda has approached Komaeda were like his current outfit - infinitesimal, almost no-existing.

"Did something happen?" asked the object in question, oblivious to the whole situation.

"Dunno, maybe you tell me? Mr. I-have-cancer-again-because-Hinata-loves-to-exaggerate..."

"Kazuichi-chan thinks juuust like Ibuki!"

"Why didn't you gave me a hint, man? I would have taken back the rest of my wrenches..." ended in a quiet voice their mechanic looking with a fondness at the three that were currently in his hand.

"I've told you, I can give them back any time."

"No, you can't!" gainsaid Souda with such a passion that it took three people in the cottage off guard for a moment. "It wouldn't make a sense to bet if you suddenly just give 'em back."

"This indeed made a perfect sense, Souda-san"

"See! Thank you, Miss Sonia!"

"It was a no problem."

"To your information" Souda pointed with his finger at Komaeda "I'm going to bet my best jumpsuit that you have a fatal recurrence of the limpoma, and we all know that the only bet I've won was when I've guessed the name of the one of Kuzuryu's daughter."

"Lymphoma." corrected Komaeda.

"Hmm?"

"It's lymphoma, not limpoma." repeated Komaeda to Souda's annoyance.

"What is this limpoma?" asked curiously Sonia.

"Sounds like a some sort of bitter fruit." contented to a conversation Mioda.

"That's not the important stuff!" Souda yelled with anger.

"Do you think there is a chance that we have them here?" asked her friend Sonia.

"Don't ignore me..." almost begged Souda, ignored by the girls. "Well, whatever, I'm going." he ended turning his back at them and going in the direction of the bridge, ignoring how his man's pride hurt and girls discussions of island's fruits.

 

_I just wanted to be nice and cheer him up a bit..._

 

 ***

 

By the time Souda got to the hospital, he spotted Kuzuryuu with his wife, holding black panther on a leash, scolding together their children. 'Good for them' he thought and without missing a beat resumed his walk. By the time he reached hospital he already spotted few people sitting on the three concrete stairs. Koizumi trying to work something out with her camera and Saionji with a back of her head on Koizumi's arm was looking at the sky with a bitter expression. Nidai with his back leaning against the wall mumbling under his breath and Tsumiki kneeling next to him with a worried expression. Were he somebody else, Souda would ask what happened but being the person he was, with an awful morning he went through, he ignored it and asked instand-

"Hey, where's Sai?"

"Shut up!" growled at him Saionji "Can't you read the air?!"

"What's wrong with you?! I just wanted to make a bet! What's wrong with that?!"

"This isn't a time for this." Koizumi answered before Saionji could open her mouth, her voice was so flat that it finally hit Souda.

"W-What happened? Something bad, right? What's it?"

"Hinata's diagnosis..." came an answer from Nidai.

"Wha?! Something wrong with you, man?" Souda's head snapped so fast in the direction of Nidai that the cracks in his neck bones were possible to hear.

"No, not with me." Nidai shook his head. " Bad news for Komaeda this time."

"What? I know about it already!" Souda waved it off.

"Y-You kn-knew about it?" Tsumiki asked timidly.

"That's what he just said, you stupid bitch!" shouted at her Saionji without moving even an inch.

"Yiek!"

"I was looking for a Sai, so I can throw into a cap too. I bet all of my jumpsuits..."

"Shut up!" Koizumi stopped to working with her camera and looked at her knees instand. "Just... be quiet for a moment, okay?"

"I don't get it." Souda scratched back of his head looking from one friend to another "What happened when I wasn't here?"

"Our weirdo will be smelling a flowers from the other side quite soon." filled him with information Saionji nuzzling into a dark-green shirt of her friend.

"Wait, did Hinata-?" Souda wasn't given an opportunity to end any of his next questions. All of his friend contributed to answered for them after first words leaved his mouth.

"Yes." Koizumi

"And he was su-?"

"U-hum." Nidai

"And that wasn't a-"

"Not a chance." Saionji

"And Tsumiki-?"

"I-I have." Tsumiki

"...How many peoples knows about this?" at this question the doors to the hospital opened, showing the figure of the Bandai Daisaku.

"The only ones unaware are twins, Tanaka, Mitarai, Sonia, Mioda and, obviously, Komaeda." he answered crossing his arms. "But I have a hunch that he already knows."

"Hey, Sai." Souda waved his hand to greet Imposter "I wanted to participate in the bet but I think it's not appropriate anymore."

"Of course it's not!" Saionji shouted at him.

"You know, this whole situation gives me flashbacks." cut in Nidai. "I remember laying in a hospital, surrounded by the kids that were destined to die or a short span of life."

"Besides Satou and Nanami, I've never experienced someone's death." added Koizumi. "Like, yeah I know during Despair Days I've...I've done awful things but...personally I've never accompanied someone who would die soon."

"You're exaggerating Mahiru One-chan." Saionji slightly moved on Koizumi's arm. "He's only a weirdo that tagged along us because by a pure accident ended up in our class and went through together with being Despair. Even Barf dog is better than him! There is no reason to feel sad for!" she sighted "But I can't be happy when Mahiru One-chan feels sad..."

For a moment all of them were either standing or sitting in a silence which surrounded them like a trees in a forest. The only exception for it was weeping Tsumiki, an ominous wind amongst branches and twigs.

"Who will tell Komaeda?" finally asked Nidai.

"Isn't it obvious? Hinata-oni, duh!"

"I don't think Hinata should be the one to do it." stated Souda.

"And why is that?" asked Sai tilting his head. This high-pitched voice was so out of place that it took Souda a while before he collected himself.

"I won't dwell too much into it but if I was in his shoes-"

"His awful, double zipped shoes." cut in Saionji.

"Ugh, If I was him" Souda tried again "I wouldn't want Sonia-san to tell it to me."

"And _now_ you switched back." Koizumi said with a flip of her eyes.

"Souda, Sonia isn't your doctor." said Imposter as if he needed to remind Souda of this simple fact.

"I know that!" he yelled in anger but continued his speech after clearing his voice "But, you know, she's still important to me. I wouldn't like a person  _that_ important to be the one bringing it. That thought somehow...makes me uneasy. Having that important person to connote with such a thing? That sounds cruel."

"You surprised me. I've never considered you to be this mature." complimented him Koizumi. "But still someone have to do this."

"There is one more thing, should we tell the rest of the class?" continued Souda.

"Why wouldn't we?" Nidai tilted head in the direction of Souda's voice "It's normal to spread news here."

"Have you considered Komaeda's feelings? Maybe he doesn't want others to know. Back then if it wasn't for Hinata we wouldn't know it. Komaeda never had spoken about it during our time at school."

"I think we are twelve people too far for it." filled the answer Sai. "The only option is to tell everyone and come up with what to do after."

"W-Well, if you say so." it didn't matter if he liked it or not, Souda had to agree with it "But I think we should discuss it with Hinata too."

"Speaking of, where did Hinata went?"

"I-I think he went on the Fourth Island t-to help Souda-san and Mitarai-san but..."

"And now we have to look for him too? What an awful day!"

"Stop complaining!" carpeted him Koizumi before she stood up pulling Saionji with her. "We have a job to do! Stop slacking off and do what you have!"

"Kahaha, so cool, Mahiru One-chan!"

"ALRIGHT! OPERATION: FINDING HINATA-START!" shouted Nidai with his enormous shadow casted on all of them.

"What's happened, old man?" asked Owari with a shopping bag in one hand and sandwich in the other.

"Since when are you here?" Souda turned his head back to look at the always hungry girl.

"Hmm? I dunno, I only went for a food and came back?"

"Why did you make it a question?!"

"You started it!"

"She's just a glutton, as expected." commented Saionji, covering her mouth as she giggled.

"Yo, guys! I'm sorry for the girls." apologized Kuzuryuu as he stood next to Souda. "What did I miss?"

"My wonderful speech." answered with a proud Souda.

"Yeah? Not much then." came a heartless answer of Kuzuyuu.

"Hey!" yelled at him Souda, angry for not being appreciated. At the same moment Peko shown herself behind him with both of their daugthers holding one of her hands and a leash with a panther at it's end knotted to her belt.

"Girls wants to say you something." encouraged Peko, looking at both of their daughters with a threat in the eyes that only mothers are capable to make. Even the panther leaned her ears against head in a shame as if she still was a kitten, not a big feline hunting for the little mammals and birds. "Right, Natsumi? Haruko?

"We are sorry." said twins in unison and bowed their heads in an apologetic manner.

"You're dismissed." with this words of their mother the girls silently leaved the group, this time trying their hardest to not make a ruckus. 

"We're searching for Hinata, care to join?" asked Imposter the moment the girls disappeared from their eyes.

"You want him to be the deliver of an horse head?" more stated that asked Kuzuryuu.

"Wha-No! Whatever that means! We want to make an assembly!"

"Pardon me, but first I need to find Tanaka and take care of this." Peko pointed at the leash. The panther at its end shook head and sneezed in a typical cat way.

"Y-yeah, we thought so..." Koizumi's awkward statement came with a raise of her left arm. "Why do you still keeps it, anyway?"

"Imagine the girls reactions to dismissing them from having a pet. You'll see what a hell we would have." Kuzuryuu snorted, crossing his arms.

"Besides, Fuyuhiko have too kind heart to do it to them." added with a smile Peko, turning her husband checks a bit more red than usual.

"I-It's not like that!"

"Ugh! I'm going to puke from all this sugar!" Saionji to picture her words put a hand on her mouth simulating vomiting.

"Hiyoko-chan..."

"Stop with the flirting, we have a job to do!" commented Souda and with this all of them looked at the Sai.

"Okay, find everyone who isn't here, beside Komaeda, and tell them to meet for the assembly at the upper restaurant after sunset.

"Eh? We're having an assembly? What happened?" Owari in her surprisement took two instand of three bars out of the bag.

"Yeah, for Komaeda."

"What did he done this time?"

"Ksyksyksy, he killed Mitarai-oni."

"Wha?! Mitarai's dead?!" shouted Owari not grasping the situation she was in.

"Hiyoko-chan!" scolded her friend Koizumi with a harsh voice. 

"MITARAI'S DEAD?!" repeated after his apprentice Nekomaru so loud that half of them was sure they won't have to do anything because Komaeda must have just heard it. But this exaggerating was only a wishful thinking. This scream was only enough to scare off all the birds from this island to the next.

"Ksyksyksy! Of course not, you Muscle Idiots." Saionji giggled behind a sleeve of her red kimono with a golden and white patterns on it. "It's Komaeda-oni who's dying."

"Eh? Komaeda's dying? That wasn't Hinata's prank?" Owari again tilted her head without understanding what's going on around her.

"How long we're wasting time here?" asked the sky above him Souda but the vast blue didn't seemed to be much of a talker.

 

***

 

The new restaurant at the hotel was maisonette. One part on the first floor inside facility plus ten tables on the balcony were called commonly 'upper restaurant' and twenty tables standing nearby pool were 'lower restaurant'. Not much of creative names but they got used to them.

After the havoc that was gathering people on the assembly - without Komaeda knowledge - inside building of an upper restaurant was done, all of them would start their so called debate, which meant outshouting one-another for what seamed to be eternity.

"Okay, are everyone here?" asked Hinata not yet loud room, scanning it with his eyes

"Yeah yeah, everyone 's present." 

"Teruteru-chan isn't here!"

"Mph! Who cares about this Pervert?!"

"Can we get something to eat? I'm starving here..."

"Oi, you assholes! Start to behave properly or I'll send you all to a oversees old pervs!"

"Hiya! I-I don't want to a perv!"

"Hey! Apologize to Mikan-chan!"

"Why Ibuki can't play a guitar now?! She had a stroke of an inspiration!"

"Would it be a problem if I asked for a cup of a earl grey tea with a strawberry cake?"

"Ibuki too! Ibuki wants strawberry too! Right, Mikan-chan?"

"Hyiiech?! W-Why did you ask me about it?"

"I want a flower candy!"

"How many fucking times we must repeat?! There isn't _a single_ flower candy on this Island!"

"SHIT! I MUST SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

"My familiars also seeks for a nutricient fodder!"

"Why did we started talking about food?"

Hajime's painful sigh came right from his tired soul within his even more worn out body. This day has already been exhausting enough and he wasn't right now in a mood to deal with all of his classmates personalities.

"Hinata, bro, I wanted to ask - what do you think about adding-"

"Everyone" Hinata's deep voice, the famous voice of his Kamukura's part of personality, spread through a room cutting Souda's suggestion down and leaving a shrills creeping down a spines of all people gathered inside. "be quiet for a moment so we would end this quickly."

"Y-yes." came a stuttered answer from a few gathered there. Hinata again scanned a room with his eyes noting that the only ones missing were Hanamura and Nidai who two minutes ago leaved to a toilet. He sighted again.

"How boring."

"Hey everyone!" Hanamura barged inside trying to make the best impression "Did you miss me and my little friend?"

"Hanamura..." Hinata's still low voice was a warning to not continue. "Sit." Hanamura was clever enough to get this and run to a table as fast as he could on his short legs, without looking at Hinata even once.

"I-I-I, I've brought a-a-a snacks." was the only thing he decided to say, opening picnic basked.

"Guhahaha! That was a good call! We might need to unclog the pipes now!"

"Nidai" Hinata looked at the friend that came back to their assembly "just take your sit."

Even if huge man wanted to add something the stares of his classmates and tugging at his sleeve Owari were enough for him to catch on a situation and gently sit down without any other comment.

"Thank you." said Hinata, still keeping his deep, monotone voice. His classmates seemed to willingly listen to him more when he was speaking like this. "As most of you already know - Komaeda is sick and this time it can't be sweeped under the rug with a label 'missed diagnosis'. This time we have a true deal that might end up with his death."

"The miasma of his corrupted soul finally swallowed him." Tanaka dramatically covered his face. Three hamsters stood on his arm and chirped a sad song swinging from side to side. 

"He's not dead yet." awkwardly reminded him Mitarai from his and Imposter table. Tanaka only glared at him and returned to his previous position with crossed arms. Hamsters got back into his scarf - they were disappointed.

"Well, do something with it then!" shouted at their leader Saionji before Koizumi even thought about silencing her. "Aren't you a superhuman lab rat? You managed to make a Pig over there"she pointed at Tsumiki "stop with her complains and operated Nidai-oni. Can't you simply do something again?"

"I'm afraid it's no longer a case of 'can or cannot' but a 'will it help or endanger him' case."

Souda raised up his hand like a child in a primary school. Hinata nodded at him, giving this permission to speak.

"Um, I don't get it? Care to explain?" 

"H-Hinata-san wanted to say " Tsumiki stood up from her seat located at the back of restaurant "that Komaeda-san's condition is now a s-serious medical case. R-Right now the treatment we choose m-may not working at all."

"Then change it, jeez." Owari decided to nonchalantly clean her ear with a little finger.

"But other treatment may also be insufficient." added Hinata to Tsumiki's speech "We may have reached the point when we stop treatment and start prolonging life."

"Isn't this the same?" Owari still didn't caught on the whole situation. Hinata fought a battle with his inner thoughts and was really hard trying to keep them down.

"Imagine - person lying in a bed. Fully aware what's going around them and their own state. A various of drips and wires adjusted to them. Feeling your weak body, how it gets weaker and weaker every day, hour. Not being even able to stood up, forget about using toilet. The idea of 'being at the end of road but not being able to die yet' planted deeply in mind." Hinata stopped here, seeing how the room got gloomy. "That is prolonging life, pretty much."

"I-I've got it." assured him Owari with a confidence of a scared child.

"Ibuki kinda remembered just one of her old song, she wonders why?"

"Tch! The gloom's everywhere so why? Why for the fuck sake? I don't fucking know. " snorted Kuzuryuu sitting with Souda and Peko at the front of Hinata.

"Okay, silence." Hinata asked the crowd that was so close to start a battle. "We need to come up with a plan to what do next."

"Eh? Aren't ya going to be a doctor, surgeon and pharmacist?"

"Akane-chan, it's not like that." Koizumi sitting at the table with Saionji on the left side of Owari and Nidai's table waved her hand at the dumbfounded girl "Hinata's still going to be his doctor but we must also participate in this."

"But I don't know a thing about medicine!"

"Leave it Mahiru One-chan, it's not worth trying to explain it to somebody who has a mass of food in place of brain."

"My brain is made of a food?!"

"See? Ksyksy~"

"Okay, everyone, SHUT THE HELL UP!" this time Hinata didn't endure and shout out for everyone in restaurant to know. "I am currently tired of repairing stuff that Mioda destroys, helping out Tanaka with animals, trading with people on the lands while maintaining our status of ex-despairs hidden, your pranks, your training, yours night's activities-"

"Hey!" several people called. The loudest were Kuzuryuus that when realized what they have just done became dead red and looked away from each other.

"-your bets, finding your so-called talismans everywhere, your never ending list of orders, your cruel attitude and your daughters idea of fun. Sorry Kuzuryuu, but your children are crazy."

"Nothing new. It pass down on all girls in the family. And do _not_ insult my daughters, motherfucker!" Peko's hand moved to her back, almost reaching a sword hidden in the bag there. Kuzuryuu stood up, his full of an anger single eye glared at Hinata's tired mismatched ones and it was a miracle that this tension between them didn't caused bolts to show.

"Kchahaha! That may be funny!" chirped Saionji.

"Now, now." Koizumi stood up, attempting to try to sooth the three people on the edge of the fight. Angered parents ready to defend their children honor, one being ex-member of yakuza and one being ex-assassin and bodyguard of the previous versus ex-human experiment with an outrageous strength. What could possibly go wrong? After her pleading gaze Sonia stood up from the table, the one being the closest to them.

"More importantly" Sonia cleared her throat and put a single hand on the arm of each boy "Would it not be wonderfully perfect if we continued our previous conversation and reached a conclusion to Komaeda-san situation?"

"..."

"...fine, whatever." Kuzuryuu slumped in his chair still glaring at Hinata with his only eye. " But I have an eye on you." Peko relaxed her arm insinuating that the quarrel was over.

"I wanted this all along." Hinata again slipped into his Kamukura voice and took a step back. "Any suggestions?"

"Tch, this guy is only a pain in the ass."

"I can cancel some of his duties and gave them to Souda and Tanaka." suggested Koizumi.

"Hey!" shouted in unison two boys whose names were mentioned.

"Don't 'hey' on me!" Koizumi pointed at them with the other hand on her hip "You skipped pool cleaning duty and you skipped dusting of the hotel. All for a Hamsters Car Racing! Therefore, more work for you two as a punishment."

"Accepted." simply stated Hinata, deaf to Souda's complains and weeping. "Anything else?"

"Maybe someone with a short-wave radio should always accompany him? To have an possibility of a fast reaction if a situation from this morning repeated itself?" suggested Sonia with a graceful uprising of right hand.

"Okay, I'll prepare a three with a special canal just for them. Souda the radio tower is yours."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Ne, Hajime-chan!" Mioda spoke at a normal speak volume, what in her case meant either cold or difficult topic. And she currently wasn't sick.

"What is it, Mioda?"

"Well, Ibuki was just a tiiiiiny~ bit of curious...how should she act around Nagito-chan now?"

 _And it happened._  Hinata thought bitterly  _The hard question was asked by a Mioda...of all people...with a chance of 13% . Did Hope's Peak really put 'analyst talent' in my head?!_

"Help him if he looks tired, find me or Tsumiki if he would collapse but otherwise treat him the same way as usual. He wouldn't like a sympathy like this."

"Ibuki gets it."

"Next?"

And just like that their assembly lasted for the two and half hour. Beside Komaeda's case they also discussed new duty list, plans of gardens and attraction in the amusement park. Ibuki wanted to paint the whole park back to bright pink but this time add blue polka dots. She was dismissed faster than one would spell down 'that's stupid'. Some new attractions were added to their 'to do list' and Koizumi ordered more sapling for gardens. Saionji still complained for the lack of traditional candies and asked for a new kimono and a fan. Souda and Hanamura tried to add to this list dirty magazines but were found out and Koizumi doubled their duty hours as a punishment. In conclusion - everything went completely normal.

The normal wasn't that what happened later. When Mioda entered her cottage she usually would remove a shirt off and throw shoes close to the entrance. For some unknown reason this time she threw a shirt close to the door and shoes at the bed, which ended up in-

"Ouch!"

-a pile of covers wincing in a pain.

"HIYAAAAAAACH! SOMEBODY SLEEPS IN IBUKI'S BED!"

"Calm down, Mioda-san." a raspy voice, a bit muffled came from the now uprising figure.

"AND IT KNOWS IBUKI'S NAME!"

"It's me." an ashen face decorated by a white locks looked at the screaming girl from the pile of colorful blankets.

"N-Nagito-chan?! WHAT IS NAGITO-CHAN DOING IN IBUKI'S BED?!"

Komaeda sighted, he could almost hear Hanamura's pervert radar picking up from the other end of their cottages. His breakfast is going to be awfully awkward.

"I wanted to talk with you after the assembly but I fell asleep, for what I apologize. I heard what you were talking at the restaurant."

"Again with the chibimeras?"

"Walkie-talkie under the bar." Komaeda corrected with an innocent smile. Mioda couldn't help but notice how fake it looked. She wasn't a specialist of Komaeda's fake smiles, in this field Hinata was unmatched winner. Still she was able to from time to time guess it thanks to her short carrier as a pop idol.

"...Ibuki's sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Mioda sat next to him on a bed. "You have no reason to."

"Ibuki doesn't know." she answered after a while, hugging her knees. A navy hair covered her back and arms like a cape. "Maybe because she wants to do something for you but she can't? She's not sure. Remember? She's quite an idiot." she send him a smile that didn't reached her eyes.

"Mioda-san" Komaeda bumped his shoulder against hers. "want to make a bet with me?"

"Bet? What? Ibuki doesn't get it."

"I bet that you won't be able to make anything out of my memories." he ignored her confusion and continue with his eyes fixated on the mess that was Mioda's desk. The only time when it was somewhat clean was during their so-called affair when Komaeda stayed for a night at her. Girl knew him enough to know that he felt a great urge to clean it.

"Eh?"

"You and Sonia-san asked about that earlier." he reminded pulling down from his head a yellow blanked with a pattern of orange paws.

"Y-Yeah, but-What's with this sudden development?! Ibuki doesn't get it!"

"Haha, don't worry. There's nothing more to it. Don't think about it too much."

 

_To think thank I would have the same idea as Mioda-san. I must spend to much time with her. Hinata-kun would laugh at me now._

 

"You can ask other people to help but only under condition to not tell them than you're analyzing me and you are forbidden from asking Hinata-kun for help. It would be unfair to have a help from someone with a talents of psychology and analyses, right? I'll make exception for Sonia-san, but she had to be binded by the same rules..."

"Wait! Waitwaitwaitwait! W-A-I-T!" Mioda put one of her fingers on his lip, shutting him with a success. "Why is Nagito-chan doing this?"

"Why? Why indeed?" He took the rest of the blankets off. Mioda had to pull her hand back due to his movement. "There is no reason behind it. Or is there? You have to play this game to find out." he smirked knowing perfectly that now Mioda wouldn't step back from it.

"What Ibuki gets from winning?"

"My desserts till next monsoon are all yours."

"High! In exchange Ibuki bets her new sewing machine that she will do it!"

"Then it's a deal."

Komaeda straightened his little and ring finger. Mioda did the same and they crossed it pulling down three times.

"I solemnly vow to be fair and win without cheating." They said at the same time before Mioda cut their hands apart with her free one.

"Good luck on your side!" said white haired boy and both of them knew than he truly meant it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Rising from the ashes* I'M ALIVE  
> I'm done writing my thesis so I can get back to drawing and writing what I want! All hail Free Time!  
> Yeah, yeah I know. I wasn't here for so long time that you forgotten about me and this thing here. I don't blame anyone, kinda my fault.  
> So enjoy this chapter while I'll hibernate, I mean while I get back to learn for the next month or so.  
> See ya
> 
>  
> 
> *oui - in case you don't know, it's "yes" in French
> 
> *Mioda's shoes-> https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vuVPJNnIL._UY575_.jpg
> 
> *"[...]a Purgatory with a cute girl being an Angel[...]" - again a reference, this time to one of my all time favorite anime. Cake for the one who guess the correct answer
> 
> *horse head - have you watched "The Godfather"? It's an old movie about mafia. Head of horse in your bed meant that mafia send you a message "you're going to die soon"
> 
> *Saionji's laugh - I have no idea how i should phonetically write it so I tried it out from my hearing of this


	6. Importance of first emotion

To say that Hinata Hajime wasn't a morning type of person was like saying that Hanamura was a little bit of a pervert - a bit more than a light understatement. Hinata usually was the last person to show up at their breakfast, before last if Saionji by some sort of miracle decided otherwise. When he would eventually show up at the upper restaurant, the little chaos - the one he actually came to like - would already be there. Some complained about Mioda's late night session of playing on a guitar, arguments between Souda and Tanaka or between twins already clearly in the air, few of the girls complaining about their figures, Nidai shouting for no reason, Owari stealing someone's plate and being scolded for it, sometimes even not so little snarks towards Kuzuryuus and their choice of activity during last night and loudness of it. This morning however was a different case.

Everyone were facing Imposter and shouting something while he was writing it all down on his notepad. The only exception was Kuzuryuu that tried, without much success, to wipe off face of one of his daughter. Today apparently happened to be "Crepes Day" which resulted in a whip cream and syrup in every possible place.

"...Okay, what are you betting on _THIS_ time?" Hinata really tried to not be snarky, but before his coffee it was impossible. On some days even after.

"My ship is back!" cheerfully answered Mitarai, almost jumping from happiness. He didn't even turned around to face Hinata, too much focused on holding sleeve of Imposter and wrinkling it.

"Eh?"

"My,my, The Great Hinata-san doesn't know it?" Hanamura showed up out of nowhere behind Hinata. Only thanks to Super High School Level Spy talent he felt his presence and didn't jump up out of a shock and/or surprise. 

" _What_ do I don't know?"

"I sure believe that this is nothing more that some silly rumor." Sonia added before she looked back at Imposter. "This is why I will double my bet!" and with this sentence she lost a bit of princess charm that she always had. Not for long, because her posture and smile where enough to rebuilt this image.

"And the rumor says?" Hinata asked, annoyed from the early stage of the day by a simple mention of bets.

"Hanamura thinks that Ibuki-chan and Komaeda got back together." finally answered Koizumi who stood a bit back as if she wasn't part of this circus called 'Impostor's Bookmaker Office'. Well, that would been true - she was one of the few people that didn't participated in it for fun but because of crowd pressure. "Hiyoko-chan, you have some cream on your face." she turned to her friend with a napkin in her hand. It didn't looked much different that Kuzuryuu's attempts.

"...'scuse me?" Hinata blinked, hardly believing what he just heard. "Komaeda...and Mioda?" He repeated after Koizumi. The simple idea of this two being together was so ridiculous that Hajime decided to hold his tongue before he would incur wrath of everyone inside restaurant. They didn't had a chances before, even less now.

"Want to throw in hat too?" cheerfully asked Souda, his eyes full of a strange gleam. Two of his hammers were already laying on a table.

"No." Hinata answer was as fast as a strike of whip. "And I bet my cottage that it didn't happened." he mumbled as he pulled back his chair.

"Not out loud! Keep your opinion to yourself!" Imposter never was happy when Hinata spoke out loud about his predictions. Mainly because it would change others opinions on current bet and in him loosing many goods.

"I'm with Hina- Haruko! Put that fork down!" Kuzuryuu stole the silver utensil from one his daughter's hand, that tried to throw it at a pineapple placed in the center of their long table. Needless to say that she was disappointed with this.

"That's Natsumi, dad!" the exact copy sitting next to the little girl protested.

"Shut up!" Kuzuryuu pointed with his accusing finger at the second daughter of his. "You think that changing ribbons-"

"She's right. That's Natsumi." Peko assured him as she took a bite of her crepe filled with raspberries and chocolate. 

"Oh. Sorry Haruko." Kuzuryuu cleared his throat and continued from where he trailed off to scold his children. "Like I said - I'm with Hinata. I can't frigging see them together again."

"Mama! Papa speaking bad again!"

"...just give me a coffee." was everything for what Hajime finally decided before he slumped down on his chair.

As if reading atmosphere, Hanamura poured down some black coffee into Hinata's cup and left behind a bowl of sugar. Depending on his humor, Hajime's addition of sugar into drinks would increase or decrease. The only thing that he was asking for was for this whole circus-like crazy thing to end as quickly as possible.

Some divine power must have heard him, because in this very moment doors to the restaurant opened with a creak. Eyes of all people inside restaurant saw Komaeda giving Mioda piggyback. Part of Hinata's brain already unconsciously started to calculate for how long more Komaeda would be able to do it before his legs finally give up, and they were already shaking like a tree during hurricane. The other part wondered how it was even possible, because according to his knowledge Komaeda's stamina and strength still were in a sorry state. But the fact that he managed to bring her here from her cottage was probably a good sign. Unless she jumped on him at the lobby.

"Yahoo! Onward my white stallion!" Mioda shouted, shooting her right hand up in the air.

"M...ioda...san...could you...let go...of me?" somehow managed Komaeda, fatigued like he wasn't in a long time.

"Ibuki wants to get to the table!" ordered girl pointing to their long table. To anticipate with this statement she wiggled her legs in the air. If Komaeda truly were horse she would smack them into his sides.

"Mioda, let him go." Hinata took a bite of his orange filled crepe before continuing. "He can hardly stand."

" _Hard_ ly stand? Uhuhu, I wonder why?" Hanamura winged with his eyebrows.

"Yiek! Ibuki got shivers!"

"Don't give up, Komaeda!" Nidai shouted encouragingly from the other side of the room where normally he and Owari would work out before they would finally eat. "You're almost there!"

Komaeda took two more steps on his wobbling legs before his hands finally let go of Mioda's tights, what resulted in her ungracious fall to the ground. If she still was wearing skirt Hanamura would been pleased but because she was now a shorts type of person there wasn't much to look at.

"Hey!" Koizumi scolding tone reached Komaeda. "This isn't a way you treat a girl! Apologize to Ibuki-chan!"

"Huach! Mioda-san!" Tsumiki run toward a girl laying on the ground. Surprisingly, Mioda looked more happy than usual. Hinata would have joked that she hit her head to hard but something told him that some kind of a Devil's agreement was involved in her current mood.

"Ahh..." before Komaeda would do anything he collapsed. The only thing that saved him from hitting the ground was Hinata's hand that caught his right shoulder. "Ugarhh..."

"No problem." Hinata answered to 'thanks' that Komaeda couldn't voice out. 

"Drink." stopping doing her push ups Owari came to their sits to hand over Komaeda a bottle of water. He only nodded, not trusting his voice enough to speak yet, and swallowed its contents faster than ever before.

"Uoh, thirsty aren't we?" Hanamura wouldn't been himself if he didn't use an opportunity to say something perverted.

"...anks." finally said in more raspy voice than usual Komaeda after finishing bottle to the every drop. He immediately took second from Owari's hands. She was prepared for this, with two more bottles squeezed under her right arm and a pack next to the chair she was using a second ago to exercise.

"What have you done to end up like that?" asked Hinata with a worry, even if he was sure what answer was awaiting for him.

 

_I bet that Mioda met him when he was leaving his cottage, jumped at his back and demanded a ride here. The question is - in which area she decided to did it. Let's see how correct I was..._

 

"Nagito-chan gave Ibuki a ride!" answered in Komaeda's place, still lying on the floor, Mioda. Tsumiki forbidden her from standing up yet, cheeking her head as the loud girl beat some rhythm on the boards with her fingers and feet.

"It was rather _Mioda-san_ who was _ridding_ Komaeda-san." Commented Hanamura with two of his fingers holding his chin. "Was it a fast ride or a slow one, I wonder..."

"From her cottage to right here!" to anticipate this words Mioda beat the floor next to her with her hand. "Without stops! _Iiieeach_!" no matter how hard she would try, Mioda's attempt at making horse sound was terrible.

"Even on a stairs?" asked to be sure Hinata.

"Yep!"

"Hey, ugly pig!" Saionji called, which made Tsumiki jump a little. "Is the head of this idiot on the floor any better now?"

"I-It doesn't seems to be i-injured in any w-way."

"Eh? And here I thought she might get better from this." commented unamused Saionji and got back to her filled with strawberries crepe.

"I'm sorry, Mioda-san." apologized Komaeda after he drunk half of his bottle down. "I could't hold for much longer."

"That's why you _finished_ earlier?"

"Just give him food Hanamura." whenever their cook heard Hinata's irritated voice he would double-fast his movements. So it was like that this time too and the plate filled with the crepes with a kiwis inside welcomed Komaeda.

"Thanks for the meal." Komaeda clasped his hands together and only after that started to eat his breakfast, not bating an eye to the curious gazes of people.

Hinata wasn't sure if Komaeda was simply oblivious or a master of ignoring reality but the tension in the restaurant would destroy an island if it was stored as a bomb. If he won't do something with this, this people will wore Komaeda out more than his this morning's forced training.

"Congratulation, Komaeda!" Nidai hit exhausted boy in the back. No matter how lightly it was for their buffy friend, for Komaeda it would have been an equivalent of hitting a table if Hinata didn't caught him in time, for the second time this day.

"Thanks." whispered Komeda to sitting on his left Hinata, hardly voicing his words out. This time guilty was punch in the same area as his lungs.

"But this was just a begging!" announced Nidai with his loud voice that made their table tremble and some of its setting fall to the floor.

"Old man is right!" Owari moved a bit to stand by his side even if just a second ago she tried to steel Hinata's crepe. "If you want to even dream to beat me one day you need to try harder than that!"

With this words Owari picked up from their seats twins and sat them on her shoulders. Her next victims were Kuzuryuu (that happened to run at her to save his children but happened to got caught by her left arm) and Saionji (she just stood the closest to Owari's right hand). Ignoring their protest, she started to lift them up and down like a dumbbells with a half-exited, half-terrified screams of twins.

"Wha-What the hell are you doin'?!" Kuzuryuu yelled as she pumped her arms.

"AH! Let me down you stupid Muscle-brain Idiot!" Saionji's screams echoed the very moment her feet couldn't reach ground anymore.

"Papa speaking bad again!" one of twins called in a scared voice. 

"Haha! That's the spirit, Owari!" Nidai encouraged his apprentice for what she started to even faster pulling her arms up and down.

" _Hell yes!"_ with filled with a joy voice yelled the other twin. Surprisingly, she done it in English.

"Mama! Haru-nee speaks like Papa!"

"Ahh, I knew she would finally pick it up." whined Komaeda before he took a sip of juice from his glass. "But it seams she chosen Sonia-san's curses over her own dad's."

"Hey! Miss Sonia doesn't use words like that!" cut in Souda, in a poor attempt to save the dignity of their princess.

"It is shameful to admit it but sometimes I use a plebeians words like this." she bowed her head a little. "I truly apologize for that."

"Oh, is that so...Komaeda, buddy!" Souda wrapped his arm over Komaeda's shoulders. Hinata ignored the fact that his eye almost got hit with Souda's elbow.

"What is it, Souda-kun? Did you decided to afterall take your wrenches back?"

"No! I just wanted to ask like a bud would a bud of his." Souda moved closer as if he was sharing a secret but the simple fact of volume level of his voice was contradicting with that. "Are you and Mioda, you know, like, well, did you slept with her?"

Hinata didn't had to move his head or posses ears to hear a bunch of people facepalming for Souda's wording. The loudest was probably Koizumi - the only person that in the left by a window group didn't care about the result of this bet. The most interested one were Mitarai and Sai, but surprisingly Tanaka also wanted to know the result of this. Hinata only sighted as he heard they unvoiced complain.

 

_Yeah, right. He **sure** slept with her. What a stupid thought..._

 

"Yeah, I did." answered nonchalantly Komaeda for what Hinata choked on the piece of crepe in his mouth.

 

_WHAT?! They actually did it?! And why the hell are you so easy-going about it?!_

 

"Look out, Hinata-kun. Have some water." ignoring the ruckus that he created with his answer Komaeda handed Hinata a bottle of water that he didn't managed to empty a few minutes ago.

"Ibuki smells shipping material. Her BL sensor is doing beep-beep!""

"...anks, Komaeda." Hinata gulped down water and looked at his friend. "You slept with Mioda?!"

"Yes, a few times. You didn't knew?" Komaeda put a finger on his chin. "I thought I've told you about that."

"So, what now?" Souda nudged his supposed bro in the ribs. "What are you going to do?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Komaeda tilted his head to the side. Yeah, he was totally oblivious to the situation. That was the conclusion that Hinata reached.

"Well, are you, like, a couple now? Or just, you know, friends with benefits?" Souda continued as if his life depended on an outcome of Komaeda's social life. Well, to be honest, Hinata wouldn't be surprised if that was true.

"I don't understand what do you mean but Mioda-san and I are just friends. I was so sure that I explained to you all that we-"

"You used to-blah blah. I know!" Souda waved with his fist. "But what about last night?!"

"Last night?"

"You _slept_ with her!" Hinata cringed at the way Souda empathized word slept. "In her cottage, right?!"

"Oh, that! Yes, that's right but I don't get what you mean by that." Komaeda nibbled at his slice of kiwi. "We spend most of the night talking."

 

_Oh, so it was like that. Of course! I feel stupid for thinking about it the other way._

 

"About what?" Souda nudged Komaeda with his other hand, waiting for continuation of story.

"Stuff." came an emotionless answer but Hinata could hear Komaeda annoyance hiding under it.

"What kind of stuff~?"

"A private stuff, Souda-kun." From the window some strange sounds started to emit, reaching Hinata's ear. It took a while before he connected them with his classmates - his brain's first suggestion was a dying whale.

"And what sort of a  _private stuff_ it was?~ Won't you say a buddy of yours?"

"I bet it was" Hinata pulled out of his pocket a walkie talkie. "about this."

"Ah! My walkie talkie!" Komaeda sounded as if he truly was surprised by the fact that someone found it. "Where did you found it, Hinata-kun?"

"In a carton box. Taped to a ceiling. Last night. During-an-assembly." dryly answered Hinata, laying the device on the table between them.

"And you picked it up for me? How kind of you!" Komaeda clasped together both of his hand with a smile. As if it was totally normal thing to find a walkie talkie in a circumstances like this.

"I knew you would find a way to spy on us, but this?" Hinata shook his head, only to rest it on his palm after a second. "You lowered bar."

"I wasn't-"

"Komaeda..."

"-given much time to came up with a better plan." admitted luckster under judging heterochromatic eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Later mom, boys are talking." Souda cut in before their discussion would reach further. "You talked about assembly that you wasn't supposed to know about. What's more?"

"Hmm~" innocent tilt head to the side and closing eyes. Yes, his acting was splendid. "A bet?"

"Ah~!" Souda's frustrated screams made Hinata remember the times when the only answer he was given was "because I say so." He kinda felt sorry for his _soul friend_.

"Souda and the rest are trying to ask" Hinata finally decided to take an action and posses the so-wanted-answer or he'll never reach a breakfast he wishes for. "if you and Mioda are back together, since you spend last night with each other."

"Why would we?" this time he was truly shocked. Or just that perfect acted that even Hinata couldn't look through it. "No one asks about it when Saionji-san visits Koizumi-san."

"That's different!" Souda yelled hitting with his fist in the table. "They're both girls!"

"And neither of them is going to perform a ritual responsible for a mana transfer." mumbled under his breath Tanaka.

"Yeah, I don't like this scene either." added Mitarai to a reference that only he caught.

"Ah!" Komaeda took in breath in shock and sudden realization. "I'm sorry if I'm mistaken but could it be that you're asking if Mioda-san and me had sex yesterday?" Souda didn't answered to the question with the words. He only blushed heavily with a shocked expression on his face. Hinata for the second time this day choked, this time drinking coffee.

"D-Don't say it so loud!" for someone who almost begged Hinata for buying some dirty magazines Souda sure was innocent at times.

"Was I correct?" asked Komaeda with a child-like innocence. This time Hinata also wasn't sure if he pretended or was serious.

"Y-yeah..." if the law of physic would allow it, Souda's head would now emit steam.

"We didn't! I hope it's answers your questions." Komaeda's eyes scanned their table. "Is there some caramel syrup?"

"Here." Peko threw the brown bottle with a symbol of brown bricks on it from the other end of the table, four seats to Komaeda's right. It landed perfectly in his hands.

"Thank you, Peko-san." he said as he started to pour it on his plate.

"Okay, I got it. You didn't...did _it."_ Souda stopped for a moment to swallow. "What about your relationship?"

"Still the same! Oh, the syrup ended."

"For real?!" Souda yelled in a shock.

"Oh? I didn't know you liked caramel syrup so much, Souda-kun."

"The ship sank again!" Mitarai's full of pain voice echoed through the restaurant.

"Sonia Nevermind-san, Kuzuryuu Peko-san, and Koizumi Mahiru-san wins." announced Imposter. "I'm really sorry, Mitarai."

"Ughh..." the ugly crying was the only answer that awaited Imposter.

"Owari, put my children and husband down, please." Peko asked still working out gymnast, currently balancing on one leg. Nidai's shoutings for Owari to try harder certainly weren't helping with situation.

"But I'm working out!" protested Owari, even faster lifting up her 'dumbbells' for what her couch only shouted louder.

"THERE YOU GO! FASTER!"

"That's what she said!" added Hanamura under his breath from kitchen.

"Then work out with a real dumbbells, for God's sake!" yelled Kuzuryuu before Owari decided to lift him and Saionji even faster than before, cutting out anything more he would say.

"AH! I want down!" Saionji was taking it far worse - or at least green color of her face suggested so.

 

 _Seriously, what is this?_   _But twins seem to have fun._

 

"Mikan-chan?" Ibuki waved with her hand to catch an attention of their nurse "Can Ibuki stood? She wants to talk with Sonia-chan!"

 

 _What?!_ That sentence rung a bell in Hinata's head. _Mioda would never say 'wants to talk'. Needs to, must, have to - I heard those at least once during breakfast. But there was never a 'wants to'_.

 

Maybe he was overthinking it but the fact that Komaeda went to Mioda's cottage to talk with her and this wording of her seemed to connected in some way that he still couldn't grasp.

 

_Why did he went to Mioda, by the way? Most of the times he goes to me and then to her. Yes, I was yesterday at assembly but I hardly can believe that he didn't tried to catch me in the morning._

 

In the background Peko was still persuading Owari to pull down her victims as Nidai suggested otherwise, Mitarai sulked as Imposter was trying to cheer him up, Souda was trying to impress Sonia who discussed with Tanaka some stuff about her hamsters, Koizumi eyes jumped from their list of tasks to Saionji, Hanamura listened carefully - ready to throw in some perverted line, Tsumiki rummaged in her medical bag looking for an antiemetic drugs. The normal breakfast resumed.

"Komaeda, are you free today?" Hinata asked his friend whose only reaction was humming in thoughtfulness.

"I don't know. Koizumi-san?" Komaeda looked to his left, searching for a red hair that stood out in the crowd.

"Um, well." Koizumi looked at some papers in front of her and nodded. "You have to milk cows with Tanaka, Souda and me but otherwise you're free."

"Thank you, Koizumi-san!" as he received his answer he turned back to look at Hinata. "That's how it is, Hinata-kun."

"Hmm...Koizumi, can we switch?" Hinata leaned forward to look at their task menager.

"Umm, but we have nobody to meet with a merchants..."

"I'll go." Kuzuryuu who finally felt ground under his feet offered. "I'm not suited for painting anyway." to keep his balance he hold one of the chairs. Owari went back to her chair to eat even more of Hanamura's food.

"Then Hinata will help on a farm, Kuzuryuu will talk with merchants and I'll paint hotel with Hiyoko-chan and Ibuki-chan."

"Yeah! I'll be with Mahiru One-chan!" Saionji yelled with happiness from her place on the floor. She didn't had enough endurance to keep standing after being used in Owari's training. It was the same for the twins but no one was going to complain about this.

"Are you Haruko, or am I Haruko?" one of them asked pointing between her and her sister with a finger.

"Aren't you Natsumi?" asked second one while pulling by her pink ribbon.

"What's this? An identity crisis?" commented Hinata watching as Kuzuryuus daughters were arguing between themselves which one is which. "Isn't this ten years to soon?"

 

~*~

 

Because the whole world got destroyed, things like a convenience stores didn't existed - so buying most of the stuff was out of question. So to lower the list of products they wouldn't have, during their first year on a boat they have traveled all around the world collecting useful items and - were it was almost time to back to the Island - animals. So thanks to this they possessed now fourteen cows, two goats, twelve chickens, two horses, an army of hamsters and one black panther. And a bunch of insects - as Souda would complain at least once a week.

The main self-proclaimed director of their farm was Tanaka but it would be impossible for one person to take care of all of the animals so a few people would be send to him to took over some of the duties. No one really liked to be send there because the smell of animals...let's say wasn't the nicest thing. And the easiest to get rid off.

"I can't believe you agreed to come here, Hinata-kun." said Komaeda as he carried four empty metal buckets to stable of cows. "You won't be able to get rid of this smell for the next week."

"It doesn't seem to concerns you." rebutted Hinata nudging his arm.

"That's different!" disagreed Komaeda with a surprising power in his voice. "My luck prevents me from it!"

"So? I'm lucky too."

"But your luck's different!" Komaeda's eyes traveled to the white t-shirt he was wearing. "We're both going to smell for the next month..."

"You over exaggerate." Hinata flipped with his eyes.

"I'm realist." assured him with a true honesty Komaeda.

"Yeah, right."

Komaeda must have seen something in his face because he laughed.

"Something funny?" Asked Hinata uprising his eyebrows.

"No!" came fast assurement. 

"Good."

After their little exchange thence silence swallowed them.

"Ne, Hinata-kun" to broke the stillness between them Komaeda decided to approach the matter. "Why did you wanted to talk with me?"

"Was I so obvious?" asked a bit embarrassed Hinata, looking to his side to avert dull green analyzing eyes.

"Hmm" Komaeda closed his eyelids, contemplating his answer. "A bit. No one really wants to be on a farm duty. And you were furrowing more than usual."

"I'm not furrowing that much." protested Hinata in a light tone. That was just one way of Komaeda's teasing that over the years he learned to ignore.

"But when you are it means you're worried." Komaeda's smile got wider when he looked at his embarrassed friend. "That's kinda cute."

"D-Don't call me cute!" protested Hinata opening giant door to the stable.

"I'm not." buckets rattled when Komaeda shrugged with his shoulders. "I just said that some of your quirks are cute."

Hinata flipped with his eyes, too tired to came up with some rebbutal. Both of them just went to their sides to perform assigned work. They took wooden stools, one of the bucket and wore on gloves. With Komaeda on the right side and Hinata on the left they started their work.

"Ahh, it's so quiet here without Hanamura-kun." commented after a while Komaeda when he tried to work out with udder of his cow. Hinata and Mioda were the only people with whom he complained about some quirks of his friend. When he once tried it with one of the twins it ended with Kuzuryuu and Souda uniting to beat him up.

"I thought you've gotten used to noise." Hinata squeezed his eyes for a moment in thought. "You know, when you aren't with me you're with Mioda."

"Mioda-san is easier to deal with." Komaeda paused for a second before he continued. "In contexts of talk."

"How many perverted jokes did he made?"

"I don't know." after a quick glance at Hinata, Komaeda extended his answer. "I've stopped counting after ten minutes."

"My condolences."

"I don't know why I need them, but thanks."

 

_Okay Hajime, do it. You have God knows how many talents and you spend ten years with him. Having one more conversation can't be such a problem._

 

"Komaeda..." Hinata started because if he won't do it now he won't do it at all. Komaeda was a master of changing topics and walking around them if he wanted so. "Speaking about you and Mioda-"

"AH, how many times I have to repeat myself?" the annoyance was now apparent not only in his voice but also in a face expression. "There is _nothing_ between me and Mioda-san beside _friendship_." even if he was maintaining his polite tone, deep down there was an irritation.

"I-I know that!" strongly agreed Hinata with a bit of stutter before he looked to his side unsure. "I just...I wanted to know what you two discussed about."

"A private stuff, Hinata-kun." Komaeda's tone clearly suggested that he didn't wanted for Hinata to go deeper into the topic.

"Yeah, that's why I'm worried." Hinata risked looking at Komaeda. His eyes met Komaeda's back and one dull green eye. "You always comes to me when you're worried and need to discuss but...this time you went to Mioda." as if the thing he said was bad he turned his head back and so did Komaeda. "I won't judge you, I'm not your only friend but...I don't know how to explain this."

"The easier the better." Komaeda fully turned back to look at him. "My brain has a bit of a problem with processing complicated stuff."

"Yeah, right..."

 

_Says the person who created the hardest to beat trial and connected the dots during other trials faster than anyone else. I've checked your brain yesterday. I know in what condition it is!_

 

"I...feel useless." was what Hinata set for after a while of intense thinking. Komaeda blinked twice very fast before his facial muscles relaxed.

"I think we still are in a need for milk. Not Kuzuryuu-kun but-"

"Stop changing subject!" Hinata's head snapped to look back at Komaeda who still tried to play with oblivious card. "I'm not talking about milk!"

"No?" Komaeda tilted his head to the side in a learned gesture of fake dumbness.

"If you're not coming to me then it means there's no way I can help you." explained Hinata as soon as he found out as he said it at loud.

"It's not like that." Komaeda looked to his side avoiding eye contact. Hinata almost smiled seeing as he apparently hit the nail and he didn't meant by it their track. "I just need a fresh look on something."

"Fresh..." repeated Hinata, trying to guess what his friend would mean by it.

"And Hinata-kun is really useful!" assured him Komaeda as he looked into his heterochromatic eyes. "You're improving this Island everyday and keeps me smiling!"

"Idiot." Hinata threw some hay at Komaeda's head, totally not to hide a tiny blush on his cheeks. "Don't say such embarrassing stuff."

"Haha, sorry, my bad!" his light laugh was enough to comfort Hinata and light up the mood.

"Open your mouth." asked Hinata as a new idea borned in his head.

"Huh? Like this?" Komaeda looked up and the moment his mouth opened, Hinata squeezed udder and some of white liquid ended in Komaeda's mouth. Out of an shock some of it leaked down his alabaster chin, hardly noticeable on his skin.

"I saw it in a movie when I was little." explained Hinata for an utter look of betrayal on Komaeda's face. "I wanted to try it one day."

"Iaata-un." for whatever Komaeda was trying to say, his mouth let some of the milk pour out staining his shirt.

"Haha~ Sorry!"

White light dazzled them for a minute before they realized it was just a Koizumi with her camera and that they've just became a victims of her talent.

"That was a nice shot but I assigned you here to work, not to fool around." she scolded them in a motherly way.

"Sorry." both of them said and watched as she walked out. Even if she was the same age as them, she hold as many power as any mother.

"Your ex-girlfriend seams to be especially hard on you, Hinata-kun." commented Komaeda as he swallowed down milk and wiped off white liquid from his face with his sleeve.

"Ehhh. First - she was her usual self. Second - is this payback for this morning?"

"Haha."

"I knew it."

The next hours they both spend milking cows and joking with the rest. The had some good laugh from Souda who more that once walked on a leftovers of devoured meals of one of the cow. When they ended, they led cows on a feed yard with their cubs and went to a henhouse. Tanaka went to take care of horses and Souda disappeared half-way, probably hiding inside a radio tower and playing with radio waves there.

"Komaeda, why did you started to date Mioda?" Hinata suddenly asked for what Komaeda squeezed one of the eggs with his artificial hand with too much strength. In a result it broke and a yellow and eggshells dirtied the metal of his limb. 

"Ah, what a waste..." was his only comment as he looked at his now yellow-colored artificial hand.

"We still have plenty of them." tone that Hinata was using clearly meant he wasn't going to let him escape from this Talk.

"Yeah, that's right." Komaeda looked around, searching for any opening that would help him escape. 

"So..."

"So, what, Hinata-kun?"

"Don't walk around topic!" Hinata snapped. He could volunteered for spending day with Komaeda but he had a limit for his friend's mind games. "Why did you dated Mioda?" Komaeda turned his back at him, like always when he was too ashamed to admit something. "Komaeda?"

"Why are you asking?" Komaeda was using this laid-back tone that, over the years they spend hanging out, Hinata learned meant something private for Komaeda - almost intimidate, that he didn't liked to share with.

"I don't know...maybe I'm just curious?" Hinata hummed for a moment before he looked back at him. "I've never asked you about this before. And I've told you more than once that I want to get to know you better. And maybe this could be one of the steps on a long way there?"

"So asking about my type is important to understand my way thinking?"

"That sounds awful when you say it out loud..."

"Isn't that for everything that I'm saying?" half joked Komaeda with a unnerving smile on his face.

"Komaeda..." Hinata's tired voice was a signal that Komaeda learned to read as 'don't you even dare to go down this route'.

"Haha~ It's not so interesting, Hinata-kun. We both...happened to suffer...from a similar condition." his answer was getting quiet and quiet with every pause he took that at the end of his sentence even Hinata had a problem hearing it, much less swallow the meaning behind.

"Similar condition?" he repeated, not sure if he heard right.

 

_What condition?! Mioda doesn't have cancer or neurological problem. A bit of some ADHD syndromes but nothing more._

 

"Broken heart." Komaeda finally answered. For a long moment Hinata had only stared at his friend's back, before his brain remembered about using eyelids to clean eyeballs and started to work out two words so fast that it almost made the same sounds like Souda's vehicles. When his super advanced brain finally stopped analyzing the context of Komaeda's statement, Hinata tried voicing out its outcome. But before he would do that he had to swallow because his throat dried as a result to keeping his mouth open for this whole time.

"You're joking." Hinata finally blurted out but the pink that stained his friend's cheeks was enough proof to answer for his disbelief.

"No, I'm not." Komaeda pulled one of his long, white strand behind ear before he continued. "Since neither of us could have the one they wanted we've agreed for...this arrangement."

"Wow, you had someone you liked?" again, Hinata blurted it out before he could bit his tongue. Komaeda flipped his eyes with disbelief.

"You only remembered _this_ part?"

"Who was it?!" Hinata almost jumped in place from excitement. Getting to know that Komaeda has human feelings is one thing, but to get him to talk about them out loud is other. Not to mention the fact that Komaeda was apparently able to have a teenage crush. Maybe Hinata wasn't so different from the rest of his friends.

"...someone who is no longer here." Komaeda answered as he locked his eyes on the zips on his shoes and the way they reflected sunlight.

"Huh?"

"That person...stayed inside The Program." Komaeda looked behind to, for a second, catch an eye contact before turning back. "And I won't be able to met them again."

 

_So he had a crush on Nanami? I didn't know. So Mitarai was right? Silent girls truly are his type...but it's contradicting with the information from the time we've created a "Ponytails Day"..._

 

"I won't tell who Mioda-san liked but...she also couldn't be with them." he quickly added, as if he was scared that Hinata would ask for it just to split that information to everyone on the Island.

_Someone that Mioda likes and she couldn't be with them...Sai? No. Mitarai? He kinda likes Tsumiki, I think? Was it like that back then?_

"Does that satisfy you, Hinata-kun?"

"Yeah, thanks." Hinata gave Komaeda a towel to get rid of the remnants of egg.

"For what?" Komaeda tilted his head to the side, trying to understand Hinata's statement.

"For letting me close to you. I think?"

"...It's nothing." he answered as he was cleaning his hand.

And concluding this they got back to working in silence, from time to time only to joke about something. It wasn't bad, both of them preferred it this way. They've never felt inconvenient or awkward surrounded by silence when they were by eachothers side. It was one of this elusive jiffs that Komaeda look at with deep fondness, always feeling warm afterwards.

"Ne, Hinata-kun?"

"Hmm?" the hum that Hinata made was a signal that he was listening and gave him his attention, even if he didn't move an inch and both of them were back to back to eachother.

"Can I ask you a question?" before enough courage would gather inside Komaeda, he decided to play a bit with the fingers of his left hand. An awkward thing to do when one has an artificial arm. They were possible to remove the same way like a jar's lid. Over the years Komaeda adapted a nervous tick of twisting them whenever he wasn't sure of his actions.

"Technically, you've just did." Hinata sighted, for the hundredth time today it seemed. "But go on."

"What's that warmth inside me?"

"...you have a fever?" Hinata turned Komaeda around and put a hand to his slightly taller friend's forehead. A little finger which he was twisting off fell to the ground with a loud sound when it meet stone floor. "Hmm? Nothing wrong? What meds you took today?"

"I wanted to ask Hinata-kun, not a doctor." came unamused answer from the current victim of Hinata's hypochondria, with a annoyed smack to the hand above said victim's eyes.

"I'm kinda both of them." dryly remembered him Hinata as he put one of his hands on hip. The left one as Komaeda noted. "And if I hear a passive aggressive comment about the current state of your brain I-"

"I need help, Hinata-kun...with feelings." Komaeda averted Hinata's eyes as much as it was possible in the tiny area they were in. "With...understanding them."

Silence. Only this filled their area after Komaeda's statement. When none of them decided to say a thing after a solid three minutes Komaeda delicately shook his friend's arm in a poor attempt of waking him up.

"Hinata-kun?"

"Oh." was for what the supposed genius finally settled for. " _Oh._ "

"Hinata-kun? Say something! I'm worried."

"That's why you went to Mioda!" Hinata smacked his own face when understatement finally filled him. "Because she's the most mature despite acting like a child." Hinata stepped back a little. He now felt like laughing. "I've should have realized earlier..."

"Sorry."

"Haha...Now I'm feeling useless again." Hinata lent on the wall, only to slide down a second later. "A bunch of talents and look at me. Not even good enough for a Talk."

"It's not...I wanted various opinions. With Hinata-kun being the last one."

"Yeah. Right." Hinata gestured to the ground next to him to sit. Komaeda came to his side but instand of siting he only crouched, still twisting his fingers. It looked really weird when his hand was missing one.

"You know, Hinata-kun" Komaeda started, his arms tense. "recently I've been thinking...what exact emotions I'm experiencing, undergo, witnessing; choose which one you like best."

"Yeah."

"I always knew there were there but...I neglected most of them. They were... _inconvenient_." Komaeda stopped playing with his fingers and went for making braids out of hay. "And yesterday I was like...how should I say it? Overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed?"

"Like a king that sees his kingdom fall because of one decision. Like a women that learns her husband has suddenly died." he stopped his attempts in making hay braids and looked at Hinata, hugging both of his sides . "When I realized that I may no longer continue to have a life the way it's now...I don't know, I just...felt _cold_." his fingers dug into the flesh that was Komaeda's arms. Even with his jacket on they sure would leave bruises. "Not like 'Hinata-kun nagging me about eating habbits first thing in the morning' kind of cold or 'Souda-kun playing with my hand again'." he stopped to laugh for a moment. His laugh ripped off any sign of happiness and lightness. "I wanted to sort out it all. Mioda-san seemed like a logical option to start with."

"All this years of me trying to get to you to talk about it..." Hinata stopped, not sure what he wanted to say next. He only sighted. "Happiness."

"Huh?"

"Answer to your question." Hinata smiled, making his cheeks dimples discernible. "It was a boringly easy one."

Komaeda only tilted his head to one side. Then to the other. Then looked up at the ceiling. He kinda resembled curious sparrow in Hinata's opinion. Or dumbfounded puppy.

_Do I have to explain a concept of happiness to you? Oh, God please; you could have spared me from this one._

"When your face made a smile without you even noticing it; when there is warmth inside that spread through your entire body that has noting to do with the weather; when your limps suddenly gets lighter - that's happiness." Hinata stopped for a second to scratch his red cheek. "I-I know it sounds awfully cliche but, don't get me wrong, i-it's just that-"

"No, it's not." face decorated with white tendrils, warm smile and hopeful look stopped him from continuing and assured in rightness of his statement. "Thank you, Hinata-kun"

Honesty filling Komaeda's voice and smile made Hinata lose his voice. Most of the embarrassment disappeared, swapping place with the relief. For a second Hinata could swear he heard the same sound he would whenever inside the Program he got someone's Hope Fragment.

 

~*~

Before most of them realized it the night set on their Island, cutting down all the activities they would perform and making them to go eat supper and to ensconce in cottage, not necessarily their own. Very few of them would decide to hang out after twilight inside some of their attractions. Nagito wasn't one them. He preferred to spend his evenings in solitude reading some book and drinking tea before the dream could get better of him. But the divine powers of the world prevented him from doing it this evening. 

"Na-gi-to-chan!" Mioda jumped at his back and made a lock on his throat with her arms. "What did you discussed with Hajime-chan? Some lovey-dovey stuff? Ibuki's BL radar was going beep-beep-gruuoagh-beeeeep all~ day~"

"Mioda-san, I am certain that you are happy to see Komaeda-san" Sonia announced herself with full of dignity voice and clicking of her tiny heels. She came from the same direction like Mioda so they probably tagged here together. "but I must warn you that if you continue doing that lock of yours poor Komaeda-san will suffocate."

"Uach~ Ibuki doesn't want this!" and with a rebuke she received from a princess she let go off Komaeda's neck, letting him breath again. "Not after she was given this chance of exploring her main BL source! Maybe she gets Ryota-chan to animate it?!"

"No." cut at the same time Sonia and Komaeda, through Komaeda's disagreement was hardly understandable.

"Oh, such a fast shoot down~ sad face."

"Did you just voiced out loud an emoticon?"

"Mioda-san, Sonia-san, I think you two are here due to my bet with Mioda-san." said Komaeda when he could finally breath almost painlessly.

"Yes~ Yes~"

"I assure you that is the reason."

"Therefore come to Ibuki's cottage!" loudly girl marched in direction of her cottage as she said it, only to get stopped by a full of dignity voice.

"Komaeda-san's is closer, Mioda-san." Sonia gracefully indicated to the cottage on her right with a delicate swing of her hand and bent of the wrist. "I believe it will be wiser to get there than to go to the other end."

"Ibuki get to see Nagito-chan's sheets?! She's in!"

Ignoring the tired laugh that Komaeda couldn't swallow, all three of them got into his living quarter. There wasn't anything special about it's inside. Like everyone living on a Island, Komaeda too had mosquito net in his windows and a white canopy added to bed. Green and red sheets(present from Mioda) and decorative blue pillows(present from Sonia) laid neatly folded on his bed. Brown wardrobe in one corner with a mirror attached to its door, all his clothes and hair accessories hidden inside. Enormous bookcase on the wall to the right side from the front door, filled with all sort of books and various object that Komaeda considered pretty, accompanied by a cosy, red armchair and coffee table. On his bedside various bottles of medications and currently read book. Wall that was on the left was remade into cork board with all photos he could begged from Koizumi and a couple of twins drawings. His floor was covered by carpet that Hinata once joked 'looked like a wall in Russian home' with which Kuzuryuu agreed (for the rest of that day he has been cursing in Russian).

Komaeda had nothing against sitting on a floor when girls would occupy his bed and armchair but both of them apparently decided otherwise by sitting on his bed. Or rather Sonia sitting nobly with her ankles crossed and hands on her knees while Mioda threw herself face down on his bed, almost drowning in his comforter. He didn't even noticed when she took off her shoes. The only thing he could do for his guest, and prolonged the inevitable, was to hang their jackets. So before he settled in his armchair he hanged girls knitted cardigans sweeters - grey one of Sonia's and red one of Mioda's - ignoring the background noise that was Mioda sniffing his sheets and voicing out her muffled opinion into a pillow.

"If you permit me to say this" Sonia started when he took his place. "I feel truly honored to be part of this, and I'm saying this with a truth coming from my heart." she placed her hand on chest to associate it with a weight of those words. "but I must ask one more question. Are you sure you want to perform this, Komaeda-san?"

Komaeda smiled for Sonia's concern, again feeling like a warmth is spreading inside his body. This was happiness - that was what Hinata said. He couldn't wait for finding more of this. He laughed shortly before he answered.

"Yes, I'm sure Sonia-san. Thank you for your concern."

"Then let us proceed." proclaimed their princess as if she was waiting for some sort of signal to start. The only sound that spread was Mioda's muffled caterwauling but otherwise the room was silent.

"Hmm~ I wonder how should we face this matter." thought out loud Sonia pulling tree of her finger to her chin and resting them here.

"I discussed this matter with Mioda-san. You choose a theme and I'm telling everything that I connect with this. Not only with Hinata-kun, Mioda-san."

"Hufi-nouw-tt~" the girl in question answered.

"So, what kind of a theme should we choose for the first session?"

"It's all up to." assured Komaeda in a light tone, even if his arms tensed up.

"Unrequited love." Mioda finally rose her head up from comforter. "Sonia-chan doesn't know a thing about...Ibuki's and Nagito-chan's _agreement._ " she let her legs fall from the edge of the bed, almost touching the floor. "Ibuki has a feeling it will be important later."

"Oh my, it wasn't just a strange decisions on a whim?"

"Not exactly." Komaeda took breath before he continued. "so the first theme is 'unrequited love'..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know this feeling when you have a hella lot to do and forgets about your fic and starts to work out on the other? That's me. If you follow my tumblr (chocolatecrisps-ao3) you probably saw a glimpses of this new story, or rather a few characters design for this upcoming story. On this side - before long not exactly soon, when I'll be done with design for all characters.
> 
> If you didn't noticed through last few days I was changing some typos in the story, adding a bit here and there. If you are interested you can reread it again to see differences.
> 
> As always, I hope you had fun few minutes here and that I'll get some info about your thought on this story.


	7. Importance of unrequited love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look what it is. An update. I bet you didn't expect that.
> 
> Warning! The following chapter consist of child abuse, slight sexual content and angst.  
> Read on your own responsibility

_What do you imagine when you hear the words "unrequited love"?_

_That one almost couple from the show you like?_

_Your friend that can't be with their crush because this person already has someone? Or like someone else?_

_A bunch of people in a fanclub screaming their love to the idol they've never meet?_

_That one sweet person that's kept in a friendzone and they knew that the moment they starts to want more - this person will disappear from their life?_

_The poor puppies that loves their owner even if they only try to find a way to get rid of them?_

_I don't believe that there is a right answer to this. All of above are right in one way or another to be honest. It only depends on personal outlook of a person to view them this way or the other. Personally, I believe that unrequited love is truly despairing. This dreadful hole inside your soul that swallows you inside, all the time painful - even more when you're reminded by it. Truly despair-inducing feeling._

_The first ones that let me feel this way were my parents. No matter how hard I would try it was never enough. Mother would always repeat how utterly helpless, useless excuse for a human being I was. And probably still am. As for Father - I don't even remember his face. He would speak so rarely that I have even problems remembering how his voice sounded. And he would never stand against Mother. I have a suspicion that he married her for a possibility of launching his own business and for a status, but I don't have a proof for this. He once even took me on a merry-go-round so he couldn't have been possibly that bad._

**Komaeda Nagito memory#Yet another piano lesson**

**age: 11**

My Home was quite big, big enough to have extra rooms like a library, office and music room. I liked the first one the most. The smell of books always promised a new journey. But despite that my current location was the last mentioned one. My Mother was sitting on a old looking armchair with her eyes glued to the window on her right. Warm sun rays were peaking inside, adding its unique smell to the mix of dust and lube. When they met crystal candelabra - little rainbows started to dance at the walls, piano and sheet music in front of me. My fingers danced on a pure white keys trying to make Chopin Ballade No.1 Op 23 match the atmosphere and convert the sad tune to my audience. After a six minutes performance I turned around to see what kind of reaction my Mother would present.

"No! No, no, _non!"_ Mother was shaking her head in disappointment. It was her idea to teach me how to play. In her opinion - all rich kids have to play piano or violin, speak not only English but also French and wear suit. Needless to say that I could do only one of those thing. I didn't even liked playing piano. The way you have to move your fingers to reach a certain chord is annoying and my hands always hurts after it.

"How it was, Mother?" I asked innocently waiting for her verdict. Maybe this time she'll praise me? I would like that...

"You _dare_ to ask?!" she shouted offended as if I was this maid that by accident poured tea on her clothes. Poor Suzui-san, I liked her... "This silly excuse of yours that you're willing to call a performance wasn't even suitable for a third rate restaurant. How can you be such an awful musician?! I can't believe such person is a part of this family..."

"I'm sorry, Mother."

"You'd better be." she marched to the window through which she was looking until recently and opened it with to much force needed. Without even casting a glimpse at me she pulled out a cigarette. "What a totally talentless brat; he won't be able to get a decent live for himself and our family." she inhaled some of the smoke. "Such a useless child."

"I'm sorry, Mother. I'll try harder next time-"

"Hand."

"Mother?"

"You heard me. Give me your hand." she said it all without even looking in my direction. The only thing I could do was to swallow a bit of saliva.

I knew what this order meant. At this point in time I wouldn't even dare to oppose it. I deserved it because I was utterly worthless. I closed my eyes and stretched out my hand towards her, slumping into my shoulders as I waited for the upcoming pain. When the smack came, I didn't as much as winced. After a few you're getting used to them. The problem is that they're leaving a white marks on my wrist and it will be troublesome to hide them under long sleeves - it's summer after all.

"If this will continue to be like this" she continued when she put wooden ruler back to its place. "you should consider yourself lucky to be alive."

 

_The only thing I ever wanted from her was an acceptation and love. For her to put a hand on my head and say "you've done well" or "it was good". But no matter how hard I would try, nothing seemed to made her happy. I was observing other children and how they were giving presents to their parents and their smile after that. At the begging I've tried it too, but quickly learned that the only things I would hear back were 'this is inedible' or 'this looks disgusting. It's neither realism nor abstraction' and 'do you think I would wear this'. Therefore I stopped and instead I tried, as hard as possible, to fulfill all of my Mother's requests. But she never looked satisfied with my accomplishments. And I'm sure that that was my fault - for not being the son she wished for._

 

"You can't play violin. You can't play piano. Your French grammar is awful. You can't even dance!" she huffed in anger, one of her hand pulled her already messy hair in frustration.

"It's not my fault that my teacher had an accident..." I mumbled hugging arm to my chest, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

"Yes indeed. That wasn't your fault." she nodded. "But the fact that even a slightest idea to try for yourself didn't crossed your mind is yours." deep sight came out from her chest.

"Mother?"

"You know, Nagito-kun? I feel like I'm trying to split open a wall but without all proper tools." Mother looked into my eyes. She did that even more rare than Father would speak so I braced myself for whatever she had in mind. "You are clearly an intellectual - math, literature, biology - you're excellent at them. I hoped that you may be talented in this area but it appears that is not a thing. I tried with a different fields but this also doesn't seem to change much."

"What are you trying to say Mother?"

"That maybe the only thing you excel at is fortune."

"Fortune?"

"Something incredibly good and bad happens to you all the time, right? With such a variety it's hard to see a pattern. I think Hope's Peak would call it, luck?"

_My Mother was one of Hope's Peak students - Super High School Level Mathematician from a 58th Class. With what she went through with the Hope's Peak she assured me in one thing - This school is absolute. You can't get incredible life without it. I didn't let it to get into my head back then but after my parents died, I've looked into - out of curiosity._

_At first I just watched an advertisement in TV about exams. The people in there were incredible - they would do a things that even some of the adults couldn't. I understood why Mother looked up to them but at this time I still couldn't bring myself to follow after her belief._

_Later, when I was diagnosed, I constantly hoped for some miracle to happen - to save me. And I again found myself watching Hope's Peak public exams. To see them performing all of their talents in front of camera - I envied them. I envied them to be able to do such incredible things. So I started to hope that one day there will be a talent wonderful enough to save me from my misery - talent able to fix me. So I started to look up to Hope's Peak even more than my Mother used to, waiting for the talent that will come to save me._

_But somewhere along the road I lost my sign on it. I followed so much after the Academy that I even took their ideas as my own and wished to see the Ultimate Hope they were always speak about. That person would posses the most powerful talent in the word!_

("Nagito-chan, you're off topic! Cut to the Ibuki part!")

(I'm sorry! I was about to start this story, but first...)

 

**Komaeda Nagito memory#Cookies of Fortune**

**age: 23**

Finding anything of worth in this world is like a miracle. But the less possible the opportunity, the more lucky you are to get one of this miracles. And my talent is, after all, luck. So it shouldn't surprise any of my classmate that almost everytime I lay feet on the land I come back with all sort of food, clothes, meds and chemicals. Through, I must admit, the eyes I was given during first few times were very - if I would say it diplomatically - full of doubt and suspicion. I wonder why? It couldn't be because of our foggy memories from the program, right?

"Look what cats dragged in and pissed all over." Saionji greeted when I started to walk up on our gangplank. She was laying on a bunch of box covered with old foresail with a pair of cracked sunglasses on her face.

"Hello, Saionji-san." I responded to her when I was in her earshot. "I see that you decided to take a sun bath. I believe it must be truly hopeful feeling to finally have one aft-"

"Shut up, you ragged half robot, and split out what you found this time." the only acknowledgement of my presence was her waving of hand without even looking my way.

_Half robot? But I only have one mechanical arm - that's not even a 10%._

"Of course! I'm sorry if I angered you with my rambling." a sack and backpack landed on the sips desks with a loud thunk. "If I may give opinion - these things probably share the same usefulness as me. That means they aren't worth anything."

"Oh, Komaeda's back." commented Souda that happened to meander on the deck. This ship was so tiny that it was impossible to not bump into anyone in this short amount of time. "Welcome back." suspicion in his voice was smaller by a tiny bit than the last time we spoke.

"I'm back, Souda-kun. Would you like to take a look at what I found?" I suggested with a smile and a small tilt of head.

"OF _course_ I will!" he assured pointing with his thumb at his chest. "Who knows what can get to that head of yours this time!" and before he finished this statement he already started marching aggressively in my direction with a strange gleam in his eyes. "Especially if it's something that can be stored inside a fridge!"

"I don't really get what you mean but go ahead!" was my only answer as I stretched out my hands, creating some jangles from the left one.

Before this sentence was allowed to end, Souda's head was already burred deep inside the bag - searching for something valuable. The only things that were possible to hear were a muffled complains and something that sounded like 'is this poison? or this?' for reasons unknown to me.

"Hey, Souda-oni, did you find anything? More worthy than you?" snickered Saionji pulling her glasses up on a forehead with a malicious smile.

"Shut up!" Souda yelled annoyed at the remark and throw a random object at her - successfully hitting her head with a chocolate bar. The next moment both of them were at each others throats. While Souda was still checking everything inside a bag that I brought, Saionji was trying to - unsuccessfully -strangle him with the sleeves of her kimono. That's an awful way to do this. If she wants to be successful, first, she needs to change a victim and second-

"What's in this sack?" Souda pointed with his chin at the forgotten white fabric next to my feet when he escaped from Saionji's grip.

"Sugar."

"WHAT?!" Souda quickly opened the sack and after tasting a bit of substance on his finger, confirming with that its sweet taste. "Holy shit...How did you managed to find sugar?!"

"Sugar?!" Saionji threw back at Soda cloth that he used in self defense and harshly shoved him to the side "Move smelly idiot, I need to check this!" and the second later she was licking her finger off from a white substance. Her eyes full of joy and satisfaction. "Maybe you aren't as useless as I thought."

"I've told you!" Souda puffed his chest with proud.

"Shut up Oil Brain, I was speaking to Komaeda-oni."

"That makes me happy, Saionji-san." I bowed a little before I continued with both of my arms hugging my sides. "Even if you're over exaggerating, I'm happy that I could make you-"

"Shut up." Both of them said at the same time and decided to lick off their fingers from sugar. Would it seem rude to ask them to stop doing this? At this rate the rest of crew will never get even a glimpse on this.

"We need to make candies!" announced Saionji during her third round of licking off sugar. Some of it lingered to her lips before she licked them, mostly successfully.

"Nah, we don't have all ingredients." Souda was now sucking his finger as if he was a five years old kid. Somehow some sugar got into his hair giving him a fairy-like look. "And it would be a waste of time. Only you and Kuzuryuu would actually eat them." the same hand that he was licking brushed through his hair. I think that I know now how this small crystals got there.

"And Hinata-kun." I added and their head snapped at me with a questionable look. "He said 'My brains performs now more actions than it would ordinary what's makes him craving for more energy, which means my demand for glucose is four time higher above average' or something along the lines."

"Japanese, please?" Souda's dumbfounded face and Saionji's squinted lower eyelid were more than enough to say that they didn't understood a word of what I just say.

"Glucose is a sugar stored inside human body." I added. Their only reaction was "Oh" that lasted for two seconds.

"You should've just say so."

"But since Komaeda-oni was useful enough to find this" Saionji pulled a rope that was still lightly tying the sack "we have to make sweets!"

"What is your suggestion then, Saionji-san?"

"You brought flour a few days ago, right?" I nodded in agreement. "Then we can make cookies!"

"Oh! Nice!" Souda gave a thumb up "I would give some to Sonia-san!" he grinned, probably imagining scenario that didn't had a chance to happen but nonetheless was hopeful for it. I must admit - this was a nice view.

"Yay, Mahiru One-chan will be happy!" Saionji spread both of her arms, with a wide smile plastered on her face. Such a hopeful face! This was also nice.

Both of them looked at me with a equally wide grins on their faces. I wonder what they may seek in there. Maybe I should also respond with something similar? Is that what they are expecting?

"I believe Hinata-kun wouldn't mind an extra source of glucose. Especially if it wasn't from Tsumiki-san's drip."

"Then it's settled!" Souda again looked into the bag and pulled out a box of cacao. "Let's go to Hanamura!"

And with this he and Saionji marched in the direction of the little kitchen situated under the deck. Since I still had to go there and leave newly found supplies, I tagged along with them. All the way there they were arguing about rights and wrongs of cookies.

 

~*~

 

"Hanamura!"

"Hanamura-oni!"

Souda and Saionji waltzed into the kitchen proudly as if it was their cabin. A moment later I followed them with a large backpack. I was lucky enough to have Souda carry the sack of sugar in my place. It was rather heavy baggage for someone with my appearance.

"Oh my! Is this what I think?" a tiny cook jumped off from a stole he used to rich some of the cupboards. His eyebrows wiggled in a way that send crawls down my spine. "Do you want to have a three, no, foursome and decided to add me in it?" he full-speed run to us and stood still like a soldier saluting. "I'M IN!"

"Wah! Gross!" Saionji visibly shuddered from disgust. She even put up a show of covering her face but in a way that still allowed for her facial expression to be seen.

"Hanamura, we have request!" Souda looked at Saionji by his left and turned back head to catch my eyes. Ah, this must be one of this unspoken signs saying 'leave'.

"Ah, I'll be going as soon as I drop this." I pointed to a backpack in my left hand. "Don't worry."

"Wha?! Weren't you goin' to 'ive them to Hinata?" Souda knitted his eyebrows in which, I presume, was puzzlement. I must have understood him wrong before. Better to apologize.

"Oh? You actually included me in this? How kind of you! I'm truly-"

"Oh, shut up!" Saionji clicked with her tongue in irritation and pushed Souda forward. An urgent move to make him speak I assume.

"Hanamura" Souda took in a breath before he continued. His face matched his hair in color "we need to make cookies." he said it with such straight face as if he was giving a lecture about one of his blueprints. I imagine that Hinata would chuckle at this. Souda's face, not blueprints.

"With a love cream?"

"No. Regular cookies. My bro Komaeda" Souda's arm wrapped around my neck and he pulled me closer in a strange form of hug. If I wasn't informed better I would have thought he's trying to strangle me the same way that Saionji was trying earlier. Smell of oil filled my nostrils as my head landed on his chest. "found sugar and we decided to make a little use of it."

"SUGAR?!" repeated after him Hanamura - the loudest I heard today. Why is everyone so obsessed with sugar?

"Haha" a small chuckle in response was everything that I was capable of.

Long hours went by before Hanamura finally decided to make cookies for three people - no more, no less ("Didja rearize how prezioz thus is?! Justin-We need thou ztore it-Timberlake!). And so with a three tiny bags of chocolate cookies all three of us departed to find a person they wanted to share it with. Saionji was the fastest of us, spotting Koizumi taking pictures of people on a beachfront.

To balance my luck out - Hinata seamed to still be out in the close-by town we were mooring. Nothing really to stress out about, that is if nothing happened to him. The idea of giving him present made me happy but what if in exchange something bad happen to him?!

_He sure has many talents now but what if it isn't enough to protect him from my luck?! What if he's already dead by the time I'm thinking this. Or worse - he'll decide it's the worst thing that he ever seen and be so repulsed by this he'll start to hate me?! Maybe I should just leave it in his cabin? I never had a friend, how am I supposed to know if this is appropriate?! Well, Hinata-kun has given me presents back then in a simulation but it was part of the game so what if in real life-_

"Komaeda!" Hinata's voice echoed in the distance. I leaned over the railing of the ship to get a better glimpse on his tiny figure. "Should I worry?"

"No? Why-" for unknown reason my voice went an octave higher. Is this normal? In some romance stories I've read people tend to have this condition when they were speaking with their loved ones. Do I apply under the same banner as them?

"You were shuffling in one place and pulling out your hair!" he sighted. I know it even if I couldn't hear it but a slight movement of his shoulders said so. "I'll be up in four minutes and 47 seconds and I hope that what you're saying will be true!"

_What? So fast?! I didn't even took shower yet! You'll be repulsed by my and Souda-kun smell!_

"Of course Hinata-kun! Everything is fine! I'm only concerned about my hygiene and how repulsed you'll get from this." the last part I said eyeing little bag of cookies in my hands.

"I won't."

He didn't even knew on how different wave we both were.

 

~*~

 

"Okay, what's happening? You're acting strange, even for you." were the first words that Hinata said after laying down three sport bags. His hands quickly went to his hips and brows made this little furrow that made him look more grumpy than usual - borderline annoyed expression as Pekoyama commented once.

"I feel blessed." the moment I heard his voice I turned around, hiding cookies behind my back. "Hinata-kun called me strange instead of weird. Does that mean we're getting closer?"

Hinata sighted with his thumb and index finger massaging his eyebrows. "How many times I have to repeat myself?" he asked as he looked up on the sky, probably searching for some kind of an answer. "Stop. Belittling. Yourself." his accusing finger almost jabbed me in the collarbone. "That's not only boring but also annoying."

"Sorry! I'll try harder next time." I waved one of hands in, what I can only hope to be, assuring manner. The other one was still holding bag hidden behind my back. A creak from behind caught our attention and stopped this rebuttal showdown.

"Oi, Hinata!" Kuzuryuu peeked from the trapdoor that lead under the deck. A vast amount of hisses, barks and whirls spread from behind his backs. "I wouldn't mind a fucking hand here! Tanaka wants to duel with Souda and - for fucks sake - I don't fucking want to see an outcome of this!" to anticipate his statement a part of machine flied close to his ear. "Fuck!" followed by a grey hamster that flipped back in the air and landed at his short, blond hair. Hinata only smiled awkwardly, scratching his check. I think a snigger escaped from behind his lips.

"Wait a second!"

"No! Now!" Kuzuryuu hissed when a particularly big ratchet hit him in the ear. Hamster that still were sitting on top of his head decided to jump back and fight for his master sake. "Get your ass here! Now!"

"Okay, I'm going!" Hinata clapped his hands together and faced me. "Sorry for this. I'll end this probably in around 18 minutes and 54 seconds."

"Hinata GODDAMMIT!" Kuzuryuu peeled cat off his head and threw it back into the darkness of ship. The sounds of a fierce battle increased.

"I'll be counting." I assured him with a smile while before he run towards the stairs. Apologize all written over his face before he looked in the darkness  preparing for whatever awaited him underneath. 

"HINATA!"

"I'm coming! Easy there!" And with this words the trapdoor got closed and the noise from inside disappeared as fast as a music in a radio that got turned down.

But the bag in my hands now seamed to weight even more than before.

_Why do I feel so uncertain about this? Is this the fact that I'm still afraid about Hinata-kun safety? Or the fact that I seem to like him more than a friend?_

(So you admit that you like Hajime-chan!)

(Oh my! You were so devoted to disclaim this that I am actually surprised to hear it. Nonetheless said so blandly! It is like a series where they change a main ship in the middle of an airing!)

(I don't want to sound rude but may I finish this?)

( OF COURSE!)

Hinata was almost right with his presumptions - it took him a total amount of 19 minutes and 54 seconds to ease everyone down according to the timer Souda installed inside my wrist. I've used this time to take the fastest shower possible and change clothes. At least I won't smell like an oil mixed with a sweat mixed with worthlessness. When I found him he was relaxing at the back of our ship, watching sun that was drowning in the vast, red-orange-indigo ocean. The way rays shone gave him an aureole - like an archangel would have. If i squeezed my eyes the white sheet that Saionji left would seem like a wings. A truly angelic sight to find myself staring at.

_Wait...isn't it a bit of cliche to imagine the person you like as an angel? I remember I disliked this in a books since I was little but what was that now? Am I starting to act as one of this annoying stuck in love heroines?_

"Komaeda, I hear your breath." Hinata didn't even turned his head back. Only squinted his - visible to me - red eye. "Stop hiding in the shadow and come here."

"I'm not hiding!" I pouted as I took a step forward. The sun blinded me and blurred my vision. Hinata looked even more eternal this way.

"Oh really? And who was standing there making all sorts of 'uorgh' I wonder."

"That's mean, Hinata-kun." I reached railing and stood next to him - observing the same sun he was. "I didn't wanted to disturb you."

"I wasn't doing anything amusing." he sighted and turned his head to face me. "What did you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh nothing, just-"

"Komaeda..." even if he sounded angry I couldn't stop myself from smiling. This was the famous 'Angry Hinata-kun's concern' like Tsumiki named it. The fastest the better so I pulled out the bag from my pocket.

"Here."

"Huh?" one of his eyebrows went up in a question and I felt my lips going even wider. He looks cute when he's puzzled.

"I found some sugar. Souda-kun and Saionji-san decided to use it to make cookies and dragged me with them. You were complaining about lack of sugar and maybe my luck decided to give you some. Not that white sugar is healthy enough to you but, maybe, you'll be happy to get it? You were giving me a bunch of stuff in the program. I should return it back somehow." 

"Wow, that's..." that awkward smile showed on his face again. "Thanks, Komaeda." and without even warning my heart did a flip and a warmth spread inside my guts.

"No problem, Hinata-kun."

"You don't have to do this." he started to play with his fingers. Like always when he is about to say something that makes him embarrassed. This or brushing through his hair starting from the back of head. "I mean giving me something in return."

"Really? But how wouldn't I?"

"I won't stop you if you want to do it but it's not necessary." he took one of the cookies and swallowed it whole in one bite. "You don't have to give me presents to assure that I'll stay your friend."

"Well, that's..." my checks got warmer and I can only hope that it isn't that much visible. A weak hope getting in consideration my complexion.

"But I must admit" he took a bite of a square cookie. "it's a bit of embarrassing to receive a pack of cookies."

"Hmm?" my eyebrows almost met with a hairline. This wasn't an answer that I was expecting. "Why is that?"

"Well, you know," he shortly looked at me then at the cookie in his hand. "girls sometimes bakes cookies for the person they like, right?"

"Hanamura-kun made them." I assured him. "And I swear that there is no weird drug in them."

"Yeah, I kinda predicted that. You're an awful cook." Hinata chuckled before he decided to finally bite second cookie. "But, you know, the atmosphere, your rambling-" 

"Hinata-kun" I inhaled deeply, not exactly sure why, before I continued with my teasing "are you insinuating that this is a love confession?" I couldn't stop from smiling as I observed the look of a total lose and embarrassment that was unfolding on Hinata's face.

"No! No-nonono!" Hinata's face got as red as the sky in front of us. "I didn't of course!"

"So, why are you so red? I think Koizumi-san's hair would be jealous." I pondered for a while with one hand holding my chin. "Or is this your Super High School level Blusher talent?"

"I-I am NOT blushing!" he objected with a face that now even more matched with his left eye.

"Oh? Then I've must have some eyesight problems." I rubbed with one of my hand at the eyelid. "Maybe I need check up?"

"Huh? Really?" Hinata pulled my hand back and looked at the eye socket that I just abused "How bad does it seem?!"

"I was joking, Hinata-kun." as if my skin was a fire that burned his hand, he let go of my wrist and step back.

"Oh yeah, right. Sorry. I just, you know...overdone it again." he smiled awkwardly, scratching his check. "Super High School Level Caretaker, I think?"

"I feel blessed to be in a presence of all of yours wonderful talent." That's true. Every new talent is like a new way to discover him from a different angle. "Ah, I might start to like you even more~."

"Geez, stop doing this." Hinata's eyes done this flip of an annoyment that he normally does after talking with Togami from Future Foundation. "I get that you love my talents, hope and, probably, Naegi Makoto but that's the lowest type of jokes." he closed his eyes for a moment in deep thought before he continued. "We need to give you some stand-up comedy lessons." 

A splash caught his attention and my eyes traveled in the same direction as his did, spotting a school of a dolphins in the distance.

"Ah, dolphins!" I leaned over the railing to get a better glimpse at them. "I didn't knew they would show up this close to the shore!"

"Actually, those are dolphwhales." Hinata explained pointing at jumping marine mammals. "After the tragedy ecosystem drastically changed, forcing most of animals to go through evolution and mating with a different kin than their own if situation pushed them to that. This one are a mix of dolphins and killer whales. They, look there!" in a place that he pointed few of the dolphwhales jumped above water making back flip. "look like a dolphins but actually they share more similarities with orcas. Their tail fins..."

I stopped listening after a few second. The way his voice started to sound like a genius, like a scientist giving an lecture on university - I've realized something. Hinata Hajime that I meet in the program and came to love was...warm, always giving off a vibe of safety. Always welcoming, even if he was vary. And more curious than anyone that I encountered before. Willing to listen to what I have to say. All those little things made me like him even more until I couldn't stopped myself from wanting to be by his side. From being in his light and understanding why he is like that. Seeing him from afar smiling - just this would make me happy. And it did when I woke up from a simulation and saw him - calling to me in the same way I once did. As if it was some sort of a cliche parallel from a slice of life novel. A simple, ordinary, boring person from a Reserve Course was able to shake with my entire being. Betray my worldview and change me - probably for a better. The biggest fanboy of Hope's Peak talents lost his heart for an unremarkable person like this.

This person, however, wasn't the same Hinata Hajime that I felled for. He was like his younger twin brother - the same look, voice and quirks but at the same time extremely different. Hinata Hajime that I liked...would never speak like that. He didn't possessed all this knowledge and outstanding senses. Hinata Hajime that I met back there would be extremely curious what was he seeing there and probably make some salty remark. He - the Hinata Hajime that I loved - disappeared. My feelings would never reach him now. He stayed back there, in the simulation and I'll never meet him again. I had to accept it - even if it hurt more than anything.

_I now understand what they mean by a broken heart...This really feels like if it was made of glass that this realization hit like a baseball bat. And shattered into thousand of pieces that can't exactly spread - instand they stab me in the chest from the inside._

_At least I have a friendship of this Hinata Hajime. And acceptance of the rest of my classmates. How lucky._

 

**Komaeda Nagito memory#An agreement between two broken hearts**

**age:26**

Living on the Island just happened to be amusing experience, much more than I would predicted. After our one-year long tour around the globe we came back to the only place we could in this destroyed world called home. So after all most needed repairs and creating farm with not only animals but also a fields our never ending vacations started. Yes, once in a while we would have a call from Naegi, asking for help in some part of world to reduce despair. Or to take care of a chaos that one of us more-or-less created during being part of Despair. Souda would destroy his pollutions machines, Kuzuryuu would calm down some criminals, Sonia would bring back democracy in a certain areas, Tsumiki would treat people from all sort of sickness that spread like a plague and Hinata - with all of his wonderful talents - acted as our representant and send rapports from this missions to either Naegi Makoto or Munakata Kyouske. After all, we were their secret agenda that - to atone for their sins - helped to bring hope back to the world. A splendid thing if you ask me!

Yet most of the time we spend on Jabberwock Island simply goofing around. Every day would be nicknamed for a different celebration - no matter how stupid sometimes it sounded. First Day of Summer, First Day of Rainy Season, Long Hair Appreciation Day, Cat Chasing Day, Animation Day...we celebrated with whatever we would came up with.

I personally really liked our late night karaokes and Hawaiian-styled parties. We all were wearing at them colorful clothes, flowers, drunk funny drinks with little umbrellas and danced till the morning. Or rather tried because half of the participants would drop out after an four hours of non-stop dancing and drinking alcohol.

During one of this parties Koizumi confessed to Hinata. I'm not sure if other girls pushed her to do this, alcohol in her veins gave her courage and advised it or it was a mix of both but in a result - she started to avoid Hinata from that moment. He didn't rejected her, mind you, but he also didn't agree to dating her. He said that he needs to analyze it properly before he would give her a proper answer. Why do I know this? Because during his so called analysis he was walking in circles in my cottage.

"What should I do?" the so-called Hope's Peak greatest genius whined as he made a twenty six crossing of my room. "How do you even respond to someone?! Oh, man! Why there was never a Super High School Level Love Adviser in Hope's Peak?!"

"Oh? Why does it matter?" I asked from my sitting position on a bed with legs curled to my chest. The best position to observe someone walking from the one wall of your room to the other.

"I've told you, I have only the talents that were previously investigated by the referees." Hinata clenched his fists in his short hair. The scar on his temples were a bit more visible now. "This matter is _feelings_. If you _don't_ remember - Kamukura _doesn't_ have them which means I have to deal with it on my own." something resembling an animal squeak escaped his mouth. It sounded almost like Tanaka's hamster when it nearly lost to one of a Souda's machine.

"I'm honored that you came here to search an answer for this, believe me, nothing makes me more happy than being useful! but why did you came here? Did you wanted to think alone and came to conclusion that no one would search for you in here?"

"No, I came here because you seemed to be the best option." Hinata stopped acting like a pendulum and looked at me. "I can't ask girls. That would be...you know." I nodded and hummed, which seemed to do a trick, because Hinata continued with his list of points. "If I sit alone I won't reach anything and just go crazy. And when you look at the guys here." he sighted and brushed through his hair. "Hanamura is a pervert, Nidai knows about co-working but not relationships, Mitarai comes up with a various idea from anime and visual novels, Tanaka has his own...world?" he tilted his head as if he was asking himself if it was a right way to name it. After a two seconds he shrugged his shoulders and picked up where he left. "Impostor has a long list of avoiding anyone's attention, Souda is the worst possible choice, because, come on! Who else can be that much in denial?!"

"What about Kuzuryuu-kun?" Hinata's eyes stared at me with a look that clearly said 'are you stupid, or what?'.

"Have you ever tried to ask him about Pekoyama? He'll sooner cut off your finger than admit that she's more than 'the most precious person he has' and even to get this you have to get him drunk."

"A valid point, Hinata-kun." I nodded in agreement. "Then? Why am I a worthy candidate? Because I was the last one on the list?"

"No. Because I thought that, you, you, you know, that maybe, ah!" he yelled for some reason before he limply fell on my bed, like a devise that had it wire plugged out. "Give me a second."

"Of course! But may I ask you something else?"

"Go on." came a muffled answer from Hinata, still facing down the matters on my left.

"Did you had any romantic relationships in your past?" the noise that I heard was a strange mix of agony and irritation. "I take it as a 'no' then. But I must admit that it's strange. I never would have assumed this. You seemed like a type who would be popular among the girls."

"Then sorry to bust your bubble, but they never seemed to like me."

"Don't mention this to Kuzuryuu-kun. He swears that his sister liked you. And what about Nanami-san? Didn't you had a crush on her?"

"I dunno...What about you?" Hinata's head moved a bit to the side. His green eye was staring at me. "Were you ever in love? Aside from your hair you look fine. I wouldn't be surprised if girls were after you. And no, hope doesn't count." the last part was added the very moment I parted my lips

"Ah, I got caught." a little giggle escaped from me. "Why do you ask?"

"Research. I want to know how it feels before I'll give my answer to Koizumi."

"The fact that you consider it might already mean that you like her."

"Komaeda..." Hinata groaned flipping with his visible eye. A green eye with a few brown spots that made it look like a yellow or rather ochre depending on the lightning. The very same eyes that met mine back in the program when he woke up on a beach. The one that were observing me all this time, trying to uncover what was under this thick skull of mine.

"Yes."

"Eh?"

"I was once in love. Or maybe it was just a really strong crush? I can't tell."

"How does it feel?!" Hinata sat up quickly and looked straight into my eyes, a bit too close if the poor opinion of mine matter. "Komaeda, how does it feel? To be in love with someone?"

"How does it feel like?"I tilted my head to the side, at the same time averting his gaze and thinking of the best way to explain in simple words complicated feelings that were once inside me. "Hmm, pretty nasty. It's a tepid, sticky, disgusting feeling that slowly constrict your chest."

"Sounds depressing." commented Hinata. A bit of light disappeared from his eyes. "Not like in this romantic comedies."

"Did you watch them?"

"No! S-Shut up!"

"I may be wrong, but the pop culture isn't the best place to research it." Hinata looked like he wasn't sure if he should be embarrassed or harass me to continue with the answer. "Maybe what I'm saying is also as wrong as killing, but that was simply how I felt. Not always, mind you." suddenly I felt strangely tense, but words were escaping my mouth without even realizing it. "After I accustomed to it...I realized that this feeling is actually nice." my face was getting warmer with every second and I'm not sure if I like that. "It's like a wonderful hope that you encountered by a miracle. You simply lost yourself in the other person - in a way they smile, walk, laugh, move their hands, brush through their hair and-,ah, sorry. I lost my track."

"Go on." he still looked at me with curious, as if my answer really hold some significance. I stole a quick glance at his face before picking up where I left.

"Before you realize, you hope to be as close to this person as possible - to stay by their side. And...and you find yourself watching them, just for an instand, and when they aren't around you look for them. In the morning you think that you can bump into them while going to a breakfast, and feels sad when it doesn't happen. But later you cross each others path and the fact that your eyes met makes you smile for the rest of the day. Makes you feel like you are floating in the air. Like when you are drunk. Even if your lungs hurts and your headaches seem unbearable."

"Wow, you make me blush just from listening." Hinata leaned his back on the wall next to me. His eyes traveled up, looking for an answers that sadly weren't written on the ceiling. "It must be wonderful. Being in love."

"I'm not sure."

"Why?"

"That's a desire more than a capable of swallowing you all up." as if to anticipate with the next words I looked into his eyes. "You wants not only to be with this person but also to...do other things. Like kissing and stuff. Before you realize it, you change because of that. And changing for the other person...is scary." in this moment I realized that my socks were actually more interesting too look at. They won't try to read more from my face and voice, even if their level of obliviousness is as great as the world. "It's like you're ceasing to exist the current you."

"Ehm, you don't need to be in love to do that."

_That's right. Hinata Hajime ceased to exist thanks to Kamukura Project._

"Sorry."

"But I would like more to change thanks to love than a surgery." Hinata shook my arm, trying to get me looking at him. "Hey, tell me more about this person that you like!"

"Hinata-kun...did you hang out too much with Tsumiki-san recently? Or Sonia-san? You're acting like a teenage girl on a girls nig-ugh!" before I was able to finish my sentence, a pillow hit me in the face cutting off whatever I had in mind.

"Sh-Shut up!"

 

_It didn't took long before Hinata-kun decided to give it a try an started to date with Koizumi-san. The two of them with Saionji-san were like a little family, it was a refreshing image on this island. Mitarai-kun even took some inspiration from this, creating an anime about a couple that looked strangely similar to them. A few months later Kuzuryuu-kun and Pekoyama-san also decided to take a step further in their relationship. The signs of this were little, but the fact that it was now possible to spot them holding hands spoke more than any words. But the big cake with 'congratulation on having sex' on it from Hanamura-kun during one breakfast also was enough to get a hint. After I think a year they decided to throw a weeding. Mainly because Kuzuryuu-kun was against an idea of two people living together without some sort of paper. It was at the day of their advertisement that I discovered Mioda-san's secret._

 

I was sitting on a beach, fumbling with a stick in the sand. I didn't tried to created anything, just mindlessly moving it, scaring some of animals on a beach. Maybe they run away and be safe from Saionji's fingers or shoes.

"How boring." escaped my mouth. There was nothing to do now, afterall. Hinata went off somewhere with Koizumi like a lovely-dovley couple they were, tagging Saionji with them. Hanamura was creating a menu, while Owari was eating the ones he decided weren't worthy. Souda had fun with some of loudspeakers and Nidai was helping him. Sonia was giving dancing lessons so probably most of people were there, trying to match with her tempo. And if Tsumiki is there, then I'm sure that I don't want to see her performance. Or hear how loud Mioda is.

It was then that I heard a silent cry from behind, somewhere behind a bushes that surrounded this place like a crown. Did one of Tanaka's animals escaped and is now hiding there? It doesn't sound to dangerous, maybe I'll caught it and retrieve it back to him. That is unless it decide to eat me or run away.

I pushed some leaves to the side to find a wild amount of colorful, messy hair and black face with some white stripes above the place were eyes should be positioned.

"Noppera-bō?"

"Where?!" the youkai jumped up looking around, reveling two white spots on it's black face that were eyes. The voice was loud and adventurous, even if a bit raspy from crying. "Ibuki wants to fight it!"

"Ah, it's you Mioda-san."

The girl that was sitting in bushes, clenching her knees to a chest was far from a image that all inhabitants of this place were used to. Her long, colorful hair always stylized by a greaterer amount of hairgrips and spray than one could count were a mess. Without her distinctive horns on two sides of her head, her bangs were rising up giving out an impression of black and white wings. The rest of it looked as if it wished for a brush, seeing a mess it was in. Even her front hair were more uneven than usual - blue and pink mixing in. The stage make up, that she put a lot of effort to apply, was leaking down her face. Some of it even landed on her white shirt, staining it brown. Her clothes always were ragged but now seemed to surprisingly well match with her appearance. Like a moocher that got a washed in coils.

"Eh?! You took Ibuki for a youkai?! Did my change of image was so horrifying?" she pointed to a black rivers on her face tracking down her face from eyes to chin. They resembled a shadow cast by a branch. "Oh man, I should've listed then to Hiyoko-chan."

"Oh? You take others opinion under consideration?" unconsciously my hand gripped chin, tilting it to the side in thought only to say: "You always were screaming about being yourself and finding own way, even if everyone around says otherwise."

"Ugh!"

"But I've might been wrong as well!" I waved with my hand in assuring gesture. "I'll leave you alone then! I bet that you don't want a company like mine."

Her hand gripped my trousers before I wasn't even given a chance to take a three steps . It wasn't strong. Owari was far from needed to fight against it. But despite that there was some urgency in it that caused me to pause. A silent beg for help. A grip so weak, yet strong - like a wounded animal that's trying to survive. As if something was took away right from under her feet, like a rug in a children game, and hit in the face with more force than a combo Nidai-Hinata-Owari hold.

There was only one way to describe the look she gave me.

_Despair._

"Mioda-san?"

"Nagito-chan?" she hesitantly looked at me. "Can you hold a secret?"

"Of course! That's the only thing I'm good at! Beside cleaning of course!" she let go of my trousers and gestured to the place next to her.

"Don't tell anyone that you saw Ibuki in this state."

"I won't. It's not like anyone would believe someone like me. Maybe except for Hinata-kun. Ah, but then everyone trust Hinata-kun so they would believe me too, then. Regardless, I won't say anything!"

Mioda smiled for a moment before it disappeared from her face and she followed with her gaze a bunch of white birds above our's heads.

"Ibuki...Ibuki is sad."

"Hmm." humming seemed to do a trick when I didn't know how to answers. No wonder that I used it to hear what Mioda had to say.

"She is suffering currently. Like a Kurt Cobain."

"Hmm." This Kurt Cobain must be truly a despaired person. If he's still alive, that's it.

"She knows what the cause is, but she can't do anything with it."

"If I may suggest, Hinata-kun and Tsumiki-san might have a cure for that." That's true. During our trip they collected some supplies that allowed them to prepare little laboratory. Not much, but enough for people here and to trade some antibiotics from time to time. Despite that, Mioda shook her head in disagreement.

"Ibuki has a broken heart. And there is no way anyone could fix that."

_Love. The most powerful way for hope or despair to be born is thanks to love. How cliche, yet true._

"Ah. I'm sorry then." I fastly said to her. She blinked a few times, before she faced me with a look of confusion.

"For what?"

"I don't know. Aren't people supposed to apologize in a situation like this?" she looked at me for only a few seconds longer before shrugging her shoulders and returned to watching sky.

"Ibuki knows she should now put all this feeling into wild passion and write a song, like a Richard Marx." a bitter laugh escaped from her.

_Who?_

"But it hurts even more when she does that." she hugged her knees even tighter.

"Loving someone...is full of suffering." before I realized it, the words slipped past my mouth. Mioda only parted a bit her lips in wonder, before twisting them into a broken, small smile.

"Yeah, Nagito-chan. You're absolutely right." she sniffled and wiped off her check from make up with a glove on her right hand. "Ibuki will use it in her next song."

"I bet Pekoyama-san, soon Kuzuuryuu-san, will appreciate that." Mioda's head snapped at me faster than ever before, even when during some small talk music would be mentioned. "She doesn't let it out but I heard she likes cute, girly stuff like this."

"...How did you know?"

"Hmm, I think Hinata-kun said it once...or maybe it was Kuzuryuu-kun? It was during drinking contest, that I'm sure."

"How did you know that Ibuki likes Peko-chan?"

"I did?"

"You just mentioned Peko-chan, and Ibuki spend enough time with Hajime-chan to know a bit how Nagito-chan rolls." a smile creeped on her face, one that didn't reached her eyes. Even with this she looked extremely sad.

"Intuition." her gaze bore into me for long enough to make me add something to this statement. "A lucky guess."

"Nagito-chan..."

"One of my bad habit is observation." I finally admitted. "I like looking at people and analyzing them. I found that you were looking fondly at Pekoyama-san, soon Kuzuryuu-san. I had my suspicions but you confirmed them just now."

"Was Ibuki this obvious?"

"...No, I don't think so." I assured her. None of us had enough time to find out what love means. "All of as are dumb in the subject that is love."

"Yeah, you're right." Mioda nodded and her finger started to draw some kind of kanji on the sand. "Nagito-chan, can Ibuki ask one more question?" she said when she finished symbol for _koi_ \- the most powerful love.

"Go ahead. I doubt that there is any worth in my words but if that's what you want I won't stop you."

"Does it...does it hurt the same way....when, when you look at Hajime-chan and Mahiru-chan together?" this time it was my turn to be shocked. Lucky or not I have a longer experience with dealing with this, so it wasn't as much visible on my face as it was previously on Mioda. Just a slight uprising of eyebrows and widening of irises.

"What gave you an idea that I feel towards Hinata-kun the same way that you feel towards Pekoyama-san?"

"Ibuki knows how looks the eyes of someone with unrequited love." she poked her temple with painted black nail. "She has them too."

"Are you sure you aren't projecting something on me? There are documented psychological evidences of-"

"Ibuki is sure that you're in love with Hajime-chan. Battle with her how long you want, she'll definitely wins that!" she giggled silently. "But she must admit, she never had a gay friend that all the girls should have. She kinda always wanted one." this time she sounded a bit happier than earlier. "Okay! She decided! From now on you're Ibuki's exclusive _Gay Friend, G-friend_ in short."

"I feel honored that you consider me a friend."

"How did know? That you like boys? Ibuki found out when she was fourteen." she blabbed on, not letting me start. Doesn't she feel ashamed saying it all out loud? "There was this girl in her classroom with a pretty, long fingers. She wanted to hold them all the time and found herself at one point dreaming about kissing her."

"Well, I found Naegi Makoto performance enough to move my heart-"

"Celebrity crush doesn't count!"

"Then, I spend a lot of time with Hinata-kun and realized that I like being by his side." if it's time to admit something I might as well do it with Mioda-san. No one would take seriously what she has to say.

"Hajime-chan made you gay?! Whoa! Now Ibuki wants to write a song named  _A guy this hot that he makes others gay._  Hear it next Friday!"

"I don't think that me liking Hinata-kun had something to do with his gender. It was just..."I closed my eyes, trying to recall what exactly was this thing that made me like him. "his hope, curiosity and inner warmth."

"Ibuki gets you. If she were into boys she would date him." Mioda nodded with a serious face. "How do you deal with him and Mahiru-chan dating?"

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you jealous? Of them?" 

"What are you talking about? I'm happy for them!" I felt offended by Mioda's words and made sure to correct her thinking "Both of them are so full of hope! They look just like a family with Saionji-san with them in the picture! How could this sight be hurtful in any way?"

"Denials are hurtful."

"I'm not in denial. That's truth."

"Nagito-chan always were the first to find Hajime-chan, as if you had some sort of Hajidar installed inside! And you loved to spend time with him! But when he started going out with Mahiru-chan you backed off. You're avoiding Hajime-chan as much as possible."

"I don't want to be a burden in his relationship."

"Hajime-chan have no problems with parting his time between dates with Mahiru-chan and the rest of us." she pointed out and swirled around her finger one of my tendrils. "You're avoiding him because it hurts to look at him smiling in this special way at someone who isn't you."

"..."

"Believe, Ibuki knows this feeling too well. Even if you close your eyes, cover your ears and mouth, you won't stop how you feel toward someone." She sighted before continuing, letting go of my hair. "All of girls that Ibuki liked always had a crush on a boy. She didn't stood a chance. The only thing she could do was being a good friend." a bitter laugh. "That's probably why during despair she killed Kirari-chan in the most awful, hurtful way possible."

_Kirari...If I remember correctly she was a member of Mioda's band. A second in command, bass guitarist. She was the one that suggested Mioda should stylizes her hair that way._

"Oh my, Ibuki was weeping way~ too long~ It's time she should get back to work!" she stood up and stretched her hands. Cheerfulness back in her voice and movements. "Nagito-chan, if you admit it, it'll get easier later. It hurts like a hell! Like playing _Highway to Hell_ for the first time!  _Like a virgin touched for the very first time!_ But when you get it out it's easier to breath again!" she turned around on her feet, some of sand flied my way as she did that. "See you later! Ibuki wants to dance with you at the weeding." and with this she rushed back to the music venue and soon disappeared from my eyes.

"But I can't dance..."

 

~*~

 

Weeding was wonderful, truly hopeful. Red, white or golden flowers and paper decorations were attached to trees surrounding beach. Tables full of Hanamura's dishes and colorful juices with a bit of alcohol in them. We even had a chance to get a sake for exchanging of vows. Girls wearing colorful dresses made by Mioda and all the guys had white shirt and a tie - getting a full suit was still a problem in a post-apocalyptic word. Only the current administration of new opened Hope's Peak Academy had them and Kuzuryuu(but it came from his private collection purchased by his family before the Tragedy occurred). The dress on ex-miss Pekoyama also were designed by Mioda with a bit of help from Sonia and Koizumi. Getting traditional wedding clothes was impossible and Mioda wouldn't been able to sew them on a time. Saionji decided it's the best to change her kimono from usual one to more fancy and all the time was avoiding dancing with anyone.

I remember to drink a little during party. Not much because Hinata was keeping an eye on me, in a fear that it get in reaction with my medicine, but whenever he was busy Kuzuryuu would pour me a little saying:

"It's not a fucking yakuza wedding without quarreling, fight, and drunk people everywhere. To the bottom!"

Until he got caught by Hinata and scolded like a little kid. Souda also took Kuzuryuu side, albeit hardly understood in a drunken state that he got himself in, and before long a quarrel begin. So with this - two over three of 'Yakuza weeding must list' were ticked off. Mioda even played some song that seemed to match with a mood on a dance floor. That only seemed to anger all of them even more. The extra guests from the re-opened Hope's Peak seamed to feel uncertain about this.

_And Naegi Makoto was with them! How I wished I would go to him and brighten up his spirit but-_

"Hinata asked me to not let you near Naegi or he'll cut off my meals."

_Owari-san was delegated to look after me and everything that I was doing the very moment Hinata took it as a honor to persuade the drunk duo in front of him. How despairful. And I so wanted to speak with Naegi Makoto._

 

"Komaeda, I don't want to have any trouble when they'll come here. I already confiscated aphrodisiacs from Hanamura and gave out all ear plugs that I found. The only thing that I wish for, is for you to NOT overwhelm Naegi. Got it?"

"May I spend with him all night talking about Hope's Peak or will it be inappropriate?"

 

"Stupid Hinata-kun." my mumble went unnoticed in the mess that currently was unfolding in front of all of us. A few seconds more and the last point will also be checked. Kuzuryuu was now holding a bottle in a way that didn't suit drinking but was very appropriate during fights.

"And now! Ladies and gentlemens! And gentleladies! Ibuki will now play a special song just for the two lovely birds! On a stage -  Fuyuhiko-chan! And-for the first time - his cute wife! Peko-chan!"

Trying to help Mioda, some of the girls started clapping and before long everyone joined in. This seemed too cool down Kuzuryuu and Hinata got a chance to drag off drunk Souda back to his sit next to Nidai. Pekoya-I mean, now Kuzuryuu Peko stood up from her place in the middle of one of three tables and took hand of her, now, husband. Both of them looked exactly embarrassed, and maybe husband was slightly concerned about their heights difference (that looked smaller today than for therest of the days, probably thanks to a special hills in his shoes).

"Whoa! Peko-chan looks so cool! Fuyuhiko-chan! Keep an eye on her or Ibuki will snatch her away!" some awkward laughs awaken among the guests. No one believed how much truth was in Mioda's words. "Ibuki wrote this song especially for today! She felt such inspiration that she couldn't swallow it!"

"How demotic." commented Togami Byakuya, pocking one of Hanamura's dish. I don't know which one he was addressing.

"Have fun dancing to  _Let My Lonely Heart Reach You Tonight_!" she cheered from the stage, puling out her guitar.

"A Japanese styled weeding song!" Sonia stood up from her sit only to second later realize what was happening in front of her. The only thing that let her out were widening eyes, almost unnoticeable on her poker face. 

"Everyone, get your earplugs."

As one, all of the guests and the main couple took in their hands plugs, ready to use them at any time given. Till now all of music was recorded and consisted from a rather classical one's. But there weren't many people who laid their feet on these grounds and didn't knew how deadly Mioda's music was.

But miracles can happen everywhere and the music that Mioda performed wasn't even as scary as usual. It actually turned out to be quite nice, which only annoyed Saionji even more because apparently she didn't had a single chance to perform herself.

Ballad that Mioda played was kinda sad, maybe too sad for a weeding but a rhythm was catchy enough for all of as to join in after first verse. A couples dancing together muddled with good friends and singles. Some exceptions made for Togami Byakuya, who watched everything around him with disgust, and Fukawa Touko, who watched only Togami in awe.

And with exception of this event the rest of night went rather smoothly. The only problem was Mioda that decided to play one more of her song, which brighten up Saionji's mood and terrified rest of the audience. This time earplugs were necessary. Two songs later she was dragged of the scene for the sake of dancing with bridegroom. Poor Kuzuryuu had problems with matching Mioda's rhythm that heard no one except her. I even got to dance with bride and thanks to some lesson from Hinata I wasn't that awful. Naegi took the place of her dance partner after me and a chance to talk with him slipped past me one more time. I know when Hinata has eyes pierced in my back and I know that he got them there now and that I would get more than a scolding for saying more than: Of, course! There you go, Naegi Makoto!.

After I danced with a bride something pocked me on the back. From the corner of my eye I spotted a green dress with yellow and pink tulle on a lower part.

"Say, ah~" Mioda's extended hand holding a fork with a bit of cake was suddenly on the same level as my mouth. Why would she want to fed me now? Both of my hands are capable of doing it and aren't tied. Regardless I took an offered bite and swallowed it.

"Thanks for the meal."

"Nagito-chan! There's no need to be so formal with Ibuki!" Mioda pointed at Sonia. Their princess was whispering something to the bride's ear. It could be either wonderful or culturally destructive. "Sonia-chan wants Peko-chan to throw bouquet, whatever that means."

"It's a European tradition. They believe that the girl that will caught it will be next marching to altar."

"Ibuki wants to participate!" and with this words she pushed plate with cake into my hands. "Hajime-chan is hungry." without saying more, she run towards the bride and princess, her dress jumping with every move.

"Was this a suggestion?"

"Komaeda!" out of breath Hinata showed up out of nowhere from behind me. "What is it?!"

"Hmm?"

"Mioda said that you wanted to talk with me."

"She did?"

"Yes, she did."

"I didn't asked her though." I tilted my head a bit. What could possibly Mioda come up with now? "But since you were so kind to talk with me, could you let me talk with Naegi Makoto?" Hinata crossed his arms on his chest and knitted eyebrows. 

"Komaeda, the last time I let you do this you were monologing how wonderful Naegi is and how much you're grateful to have an underclassman like him." he sounded almost like a Koizumi when she scolds Tanaka and Souda for slacking off. So it must be true that couples exchange some of habits and mannerisms. "Nidai had to drag you off because you wouldn't stop shaking Naegi's hands. And when we asked you to do dishes you refused because, I quote, you don't want to wash Naegi's cuticle off your hands." Hinata's words could hold some sort of scolding, could, if a growl didn't escaped from his stomach. He really pretended it didn't happened and would be actually believable if not for the blush on his checks.

"Are you hungry, Hinata-kun?"

"N-no! Well, maybe a little..."

"I almost see twin tails growing out." commented silently Mitarai from his sit behind our backs. He was doing everything in his power to not be spotted by any of the special guests. The only times he stood up were for toilet breaks and weeding cake.

"Mioda-san gave me this. Do you want some?"

"Well, I shouldn't..." to rebut with this, the growl increased. It almost sounded like our farm during feeding.

"She doesn't want this back and I don't like sweet things." a smile of encouragement and I think that Hinata is breaking. "You can eat this while I go talk with Naegi Makoto for five minutes."

"Oh, fine! You have three minutes. Now, give it to me!" Hinata took plate from my hand and in a blink of an eye ate all slice. I doubt even Owari could be this fast. "Thanks. I really needed this."

" _Odin!_ " Sonia started countdown. All of the girls gathered behind the bride, with Fukawa Touko looking most fixated on catching bouquet.

"It wasn't a problem but couldn't you simply take one for yourself? We have a bunch of this." I pointed at the giant cake in the middle of newly wed table. "Asahina Aoi successfully keeps Owari-san busy at eating contests of lobsters. I must admit, she complained more than enough about losing her figure, but nonetheless - Owari-san isn't eating cake."

" _Dva!_ " Some movement in girls' group. Fukawa knocked out Saionji. The dancer screamed loudly before running away with a whimper and Koizumi following her.

"Saionji's sitting next to Koizumi." Hinata whipped off vanilla and strawberry frosting from his face with a sleeve of white shirt. "She steals all of my plates."

"Oh."

" _Tri!_ " Out of a habit Pekoyama took the same position she would during combat. She swing bouquet the same way she would with her shinai if behind her back stood an opponent. The flowers traveled through the air in a perfect half-circle before ending up in Koizumi's hands.

"What? Wait, no! I! I..." Koizumi was so shocked that she couldn't even construct a grammatically correct sentence. Hinata standing next to me matched in color her hair, even more when she looked his way.

"Haha! You're lucky, Mahiru One-chan!" like by a touch of a magic wand, Saionji stopped crying and hugged terrified Koizumi whose face at this point merged with her hair. It was hard to tell where one started and the other ended.

"Congratulations, Koizumi-san!" cheered Sonia and some of the girls followed her example. A few of them even sent Hinata a meaningful look. Fukawa Touko went back to her sit to sulk for the rest of the evening.

"Hinata-kun" his head snapped at me. "you should take responsibility."

"Shut up!"

"Classical tsundere." mumbled Mitarai to Tanaka who took place next to him. Their only concern was eating fruit muffins and petting Tanaka's animals, with some necessary - at least in their opinion - commentary added here and there.

"An outrageous fear simmer inside him for nothing but a simple idea of getting a whole-life lasting contract with a Demon of the Sound. No! Rather by the idea of giving her half of his life as a contract!" some of his hamsters chirped in anticipation before they went back to nibbling nuts.

"Why sound?" asked dumbfound Mitarai, stopping with his sketches to the next animation. A particularly fat hamster took this opportunity to lay down on his pad.

"You must have not fight with her in the morning, when her power manifests at its peak, to not know why that's it!" yelled to the sky Tanaka with some of hamsters taking various posses on his head or arms.

"Oh, right. I get it." animator took off hamster from his pad and returned to drawing appalled Hinata and amused Komaeda with a mirthful crowd of girls.

"Oh, shut up! Both of you!" Hinata yelled at them, with a face only slightly less red than Koizumi's. "I-It's not like it means a-anything!"

"..." Mitarai's unamused look told more than any words would ever hold. Tanaka decided otherwise and added some, to Hinata's demise.

"They may call you a Ruler of All but in this reality you are nothing more than an henchman of Sound Demon of the Red."

"Who?"

"Nagito-chan!"

"Yet another Sound Demon appeared." all of Tanaka's hamster in hurry jumped behind his collar, finding hiding place wherever they could in a fear of encountering Mioda's voice. "Their kind must have a nests in this lands."

"Dance with Ibuki! Come on! You promised!" Mioda took my arm and dragged me off, not letting to herself acknowledge questions written over the faces of the three that she left behind our backs.

Before the thought slipped into my mind, Mioda was already leading me through a dance floor not exactly catching the rhythm of the currently played music. My dance lesson with Hinata weren't enough to much with a tempo that she enforced on both of us.

"How do you feel?" she asked between bumping into newlyweds and Impostor eating all salmon that he could find.

"It's a bit too loud to my taste but I admit - this weeding is wonderful. Such beautiful hope will be born from affiliation of Kuzuryuu-kun and Pekoyama-san, now Kuzuryuu-san! I wonder what their children will be like!"

"It wasn't what Ibuki asked for." surprisingly Mioda's movements slows down, finally matching with the song that was played. "She was asking about Hajime-chan."

"Hinata-kun may have overheat a little but he keeps well. I'm more worried about Koizumi-san. Ah, thanks for the cake. Hinata-kun liked it!"

"...you really don't feel anything looking at them?" I looked over her shoulder to get a glimpse of Hinata being pushed by a Saionji towards Koizumi and an exchange of awkward smiles between the two of them. Different type than I'm used to see on him

 " _It hurts to look at him smiling in this special way at someone who isn't you."_

Mioda's word from this morning played in my head for some reason. Yes, that's right. It hurts even if it shouldn't. How was she able to get to this conclusion, I don't know. But this words hold too much truth. Yet I won't ever let this truth out.

"I'm happy that he find his place by Koizumi-san's side."

"For real?! Then you're better than Ibuki." her gaze stopped at our feet. "She wish that Peko-chan would look at her the same way she looks at Fuyuhiko-chan."

"Well, when you accept that the person you like is dead it gets easier." Mioda's horrified expression was almost funny.

"Wha?! Hajime-chan's dead?! And what this thing here is? His evil clone?! Or twin brother?! Evil-clone of twin brother?!"

"Hinata-kun that I liked stayed back in the virtual reality." I soothed her screams down. Souda was looking at us with a concern or jealously, I can't really tell. Luckily his drunk brain didn't decided for him to talk. "This person here is not the same."

"Ibuki doesn't get it. What's the difference?"

"Hmm?"

"What's the difference between this Hajime-chan and the other one? Ibuki doesn't see them."

"All this wonderful talent that he now posses!" was the most obvious answers. Couldn't she see it for herself?

"And?"

_She wants more evidences? Isn't this the most crucial?_

"He gets bored easier." he still has his curiosity but it's now harder to find something that'll fascinate him for longer than few hours.

"And?"

_She still needs more?_

"He's now right-handed, though in some cases he switch to his left hand." in a program he always was pointing with his left hand and almost greeted me with it. After I woke up I realized that he was now using more his right hand, through from time to time went back to the left one.

"And?"

"Eye color." the most obvious difference. Everyone remembers that both of Hinata's eyes were once green.

"And?"

"I don't understand what you getting at." if this continues I'll be shouting her statements down for the rest of night. I can't complain but it's not the most pleasant way to spend it.

"Ibuki tries to tell you" Mioda decided to at this moment do some sort of pirouette. Her bare feet stood on a fabric of her dress and caused her to fall to the ground. She stood up so quickly and with such cheerful smile as if it all was planned before hand. "she thinks that you're lying to yourself so that you don't get hurt."

"..."

"She tried it once too. It's not the best way."

"What are you getting at?"

"It's not easy to get over unrequited love." something flickered in her eyes. It was always a sign of one of her ideas that, to be honest, weren't the most clever. But as soon as it showed it also disappeared. "Just don't forget that Ibuki will always be willing to listen to all your gay problems. She's into it too! Ya know?"

 

~*~

I didn't wanted to believe what Mioda had to say. My feelings were existing only for one Hinata Hajime and it was the one who died in the program. The scraps that I was seeing today were nothing like him. Hinata that I knew wouldn't smile that often and constantly shift his voice. He couldn't perform all this wonderful things with his various talents. He was miserable human being - just like me. But the ordinary people are the once that are changing this world. Hinata defied the law of Neo World Program and disappeared. The one that woke up was Hinata that stole Kamukura Izuru's traits. That is true.

So why I still feel hurt whenever I see him with Koizumi? They're happy together, I should be happy for them too. Was it the look and voice in this new Hinata that made me hesitant? That is a possibility.

"Oi, Komaeda!" a hand smaked me on the head. "Are you listening?" asked Souda with annoyed expression.

"Ah, sorry. I was thinking about something. Is there anything you need from me?"

"Give this to Hinata." he pushed some sort of blueprints in my hands. "Those are plans for cleaning robots. I want him to take a look at them. I would give them personally but I'm already late."

_Is he again throwing out his strange racing contest with Tanaka-kun? I didn't know he reconstructed his mechanical hamster this quickly._

"I appreciate that you ask me for a favor but why would you chose me? Isn't Koizumi-san a better choice?"

"Nah, she rather chop my head off. And if you want to find Hinata, the fastest way is to look for you. Seriously, it's like you both are some sort of connected radio stations."

"Mioda-san said something similar two days ago."

"Yeah, I noticed you get close." his checks stole a bit of color from his hair. "Are you two, you know, getting together?"

"I think so? She called me her _G-friend?_ "

"She friendzoned you then?" he put a hand on my shoulder. "My condolences."

"Thanks?"

"If you want to talk it over my door are open."

"I'll remember."

_Why everyone suddenly everyone invite me for a serious talk? Is there something that I'm not aware of? What kind of luck it could be?_

With a tooth-grin like smile Souda run off, leaving me with his plans. Sighting, I leaved restaurant pursuing my search for Hinata. It's still early - he can either still sleep in his cottage or run around island, searching for useful things in need of repairing. We still don't have usable showers so maybe he checks plumbs somewhere? It not day were he complains about merchants and flies, so docks are off question. Maybe behind a hotel or on a second island, next to our solar batteries.

Hotel's backside is the closest so it should be logical to go there, yet on a stairs I felt an urge to go to coast. A lucky guess? Maybe. I shouldn't ignore my luck, after all.

But what I saw on a rocky beach crushed down all I made myself think, fell apart like a house of card. The fact that I found Hinata-kun there wasn't shocking. Koizumi standing by his side also didn't surprised me. The fact that both of them were kissing was like a shout in a heart. It was easy to dismiss an idea of their relationship. Most of the time they would only hold hands or peck each others check - nothing special. But for some reason seeing them now broke all the wall that I built and shout right in the heart. I step back, in an attempt of running away but a dry stick gave me out.

"Komaeda? What are you doing here?"

"I apologize, I didn't mean to interrupt you. Souda-kun asked me to give you this." I shoved rapidly all of the papers in Hinata's hands.

"Is everything alright?" Koizumi asked, raising her hand. "You're acting strange..."

"I'm fine, really! I'm sorry to interrupt you two. I hope that I didn't destroyed the mood! But I assume it's hard with someone as me around. I wish you two nice day."

And with that I went back into my cottage. I didn't feel like getting out for the rest of day.

A soft, yet rhythmic knocking stopped the silence in my room around evening. There's only one person who would knock a pop song out.

"You can come in, Mioda-san." I sat up on my bed. "It's open."

Mioda's colorful hair and later her as much mismatched clothes entered my living space. It took her some time before she took a few steps forward. She gulped down and stood in front of me, unsure of what to do.

"Nagito-chan? What happened today?"

"Hmm? I don't know. I didn't feel like leaving today."

"Ibuki talked with Mahiru-chan." she sighted and put her hands on her hips. "Did you bit your denial goodbye?"

"No. It's not like that." I shook my head. "It's just that - they are too similar. This Hinata-kun and the other. I was fine dodging the bullet for a long time but today it got me a bit."

"The kiss was too much?" Mioda smiled with care. "You're innocent! Like a fluffy bunny!"

"Just seeing this Hinata-kun and realizing that I would never have this...it hurt a bit."

"It always hurts." Ibuki nodded with her head. "It gets less painful over a time but still hurts. And there is only one way to get rid off this."

"What?"

"Fall in love!" she extended her hands widely in the air, nearly hitting a wall on her left side. "Love cures everyone!"

"Does it cured you?" it came out more snarky than I intended it too but it was now to late to take it back.

"Nagito-chan" Mioda squished my arm "want to make a deal?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's forget about this pain together. You will be Peko-chan, Ibuki will be Hajime."

"I don't get what you-" before i finished my sentence, Mioda sealed her lips with mine. It didn't took her a long time before her tongue explored insides of my mouth. Her hands curled into my hair and she slipped down to sit on my laps. She broke the kiss when her lungs decided a need for air, a bit of a saliva stretching, connecting our lips.

"Ibuki is Hajime-chan." she said firmly one more time. "Nagi-,ugh, Komaeda! Made me feel good! I'm bored."

_It was wrong. That's wrong. Mioda-san isn't even the same height and her body has a different shape. Doing it isn't something that Hinata-kun would like. That's awful and leads to despair._

"Komaeda?"

"All right, Hinata-kun."

_Yet I agreed to it because that way a bit of a pain would fly away. I would for a few seconds be with green eyed Hinata-kun and pretend that we both are happy. That I would find my happiness with him. That he kissed me in the same way that his doppelganger kissed Koizumi-san. That he done this things with me._

_Not to mention that this way I would be useful for Mioda. She truly needed to forget about Pekoyama-san. This way both of us would for short time forget about pain inside our chests._

_My relationship with Mioda lasted for around half year._

 

_~*~_

 

"If I understood correctly" Sonia raised her long finger to her chin. "the both of you had this sort of relationship because you simply could not let go of the ones you wished were your lovers and simply wanted to forget about this feelings for them?"

"Yes!  _Yes!_ _Da!"_ answered Mioda that had a fun braiding Sonia's hair. Princess now had a three braids that each consisted of a nine smaller ones.

"I believe I was once reading a manga like this." said Sonia, not letting a single emotion or inner disgust show on her face.

"Really? Ibuki kinda wants too now."

"Regardless, it is a late hour" Sonia pointed at the black window. "and I think that we should discuss this matter tomorow, when we will get enough sleep." As if to anticipate with this two hamsters sitting on her knees yawned. Princess stood up and bowed, holding little pets in her hands. "Therefore, I bit a farawell to both of you, Komaeda-san, Mioda-san."

Sonia put hamsters in the pocket of her cardigan and left, leaving Komaeda alone with Mioda. The girl looked at him, slightly uprasing her eyebrows.

"Do you regret doing this with Ibuki?"

"Should I?" Komaeda shrugged with his shoulders. "It helped you, right?"

"But it wasn't fair to use Nagito-chan like this. Ibuki literally got your virginity!"

"I don't care about that."

"Yet you would still want it to be Hajime-chan, right?"

"..."

"You didn't changed that much." Mioda stood up and went to retrive her own cardigan. "Once in denial, always in denial."

And with thoose words bit goodbye with Komaeda. He only smiled in a wicked way to a closed door.

"You got it wrong..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello angst; my old friend~ I've come to talk with you again
> 
> *piano scene - sorry if someone feels disgusted after reading this one. And google up the thing Komaeda was supposed to play - it's amazing piece of music.  
> *cookies - I admit, I'm weak person. That Komahina poster got me and I decided to add this scene simply because I liked it.  
> *noppera-bō - in short, it's a Japanese youkai that has a shape of a women without a face and is always weeping because it saw something scary.  
> * Mioda's crush - do you know that in official guide she says how good Peko looks in bikini? If that's not a material for fanfiction then I don't know what is.  
> *twintails - someone once told me that 'twin tails and overknee socks are essential for tsundere' hence the joke  
> *russian countdown - I headcannon that Sonia's country is in east Europe and that their mostly used language is Russian
> 
> For any mistakes I sincerly appologies. The chapter is pretty long and I might've missed some


	8. Importance of talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, right. I have a fanfic to write. Joking, I remember that, I just don’t have enough time because my uni is a shit.  
> See you in the next 2-5 months

Today was one of this day that just didn't seem to go well. No matter how hard Hinata would try, nothing could fit the way he wanted. The artificial luck and mysterious celestians beings were the one to take a blame but after remembering through what Hinata went through he corrected himself. Gods doesn't exist so it must have been work of Lady Luck all along. The fact that his counterbalance wouldn't talk with him rillef him up enough to take the matter into own hands - that is, after he finish off all the paperwork for Island, reports for Future Foundation, results of research for Naegi Makoto and medical history for said counterbalance as well as his personal, most common problem, not mentioning Nidai. All of it before breakfast. When was the last time he spend more than a five hours asleep? Probably during Sober up Day when everyone had a hangover and wouldn't even try to dare move a single finger. Their first party on Island was truly something.

"How boring..." half whined, half yelled Hinata. This time Kamukura Izuru wasn't talking though him.

 

***

 

Hinata Hajime was a person that had experienced a great amount of things throughout his life, most of which were far from accessible for an ordinary person - which he at this events certainly was.

Brain surgery - checked.

Removing personality - checked.

Becoming a genius with an impossible to maintain, stupidly long hair - checked.

Getting back to himself inside video game - checked.

Playing killing game - double checked.

Getting, mostly, back to his old personality after escaping virtual reality - checked.

Running a tiny, concerned around five islands country with an eighteen inhabitants, including him - checked.

Taking all of it into a measure there was hardly a thing that would make him astonished. So why did he still was so surprised whenever he saw Mioda and Mitarai having fun at the karaoke, dancing together in a rhythm of the song they have chosen? Beat him, he didn't know. That was an unsolvable mystery of Hinata Hajime's brain. One of many, but he preferred to not dwell too much into them.

" _On top of my head there's cactus and flower of fern_." Mioda sang, at the same time pointing to her forehead in an exaggerated girly way having three finger of her right hand straightened while the other hand was holding a microphone. Mitarai stood next to her in a similar position.

" _Without a knowledge it has grown out there and has been growing for years_." He accompanied and while moving in unison with Mioda, put microphone to his other hand while the left one went on the hip. Girl also added an extra move to her right hip. 

" _I'm not here_ " Mioda covered her left eye with her hand and stood with her back facing Mitarai.

" _I fall down_ " this time it was Mitarai who stretched his hand up in the air and quickly pulled it down to empathizes with the lyrics and put his back against Mioda's.

" _I'm afraid_ " Mioda sang while tapping her sternum lightly.

" _Neurological braids, gyruses_ " they both sang while bending forward a little and taking two steps. Mioda managed to do this tongue twister perfectly and practically jumped on a heels of her red trainees. As for Mitarai...at least he tried.

"Hey-" Hinata attempted to ask them question seeing, or rather hearing, a pause in their performance but before he could add more to it both of self-proclaimed pop divas threw their fist in the air and started to bumping at an invisible door.

" _And buzz, buzz, buzz of thoughts;_ _When I hear crowd, crowd, crowd;_ _I understand little - map's unreadable._ "

"Can I-" Mioda waved with one of her hand with outstretched finger, pointing with it at Hinata. Seeing as Mitarai didn't mimicked her must have meant that she gave him a signal to wait - probably to the closest interval.

" _Around the corner boom, boom, boom; boomerang hit in head; A pink smears, I'll remember the voice._ " Both of them continued with the strange dance sequence that seemed more suitable for a large group of girls idols. Oh, right - that's what Mioda was once part of.

 _What the hell that's song even about?_ Hinata thought as he questioningly upraised his eyebrow.

" _Hmm~ I'll see a flash, flash, flash_ " Mioda sang while swinging her hips and kicking with her legs in a that-seems-easy-but-in-reality-is-hard way. Mitarai looked poorly when he tried to mimic her movements. Not that it bothered either of them.

" _In an ear a zip, zip, zip_ " Mitarai pointed to his ears while jumping from one foot to the other - far from a rhythm and more close in resembles to a men walking on a boiling white coals.

" _A quiet sputter of a jerky breath_ " Mioda took the lead, saving Mitarai from performing an impossible for him line in a perfect timing while moving her legs like a pendulum in a tact of music.

" _With a sneaky stri-stri-strike he wanted to destroy_ " Mitarai threw in, off-key of course.

" _I'm standing upright, I won't open gates_." Mioda corrected a bad taste that he left, adding some wild sequence of jumping and kicking.

The lyrics on a screen changed to _instrumental_ , giving Hinata a few seconds before the duo would continue with their performance.

"Mioda, I want to talk with you."

"But of course, that it's yes! Hajime-chan, why would Ibuki refuse you?” the girl gave him a wink and thumb up. Hinata smiled in return. "Just wait till Ibuki and Ryota-chan ends this song!"

 _Oh, great..._ was what Hinata thought. Nothing on his face, except for a small twitch of an eyebrow, gave him out.

"Okay..." was his eventual response. It was full of this tiredness that you experience when something that you clearly doesn't want to experience happens but nonetheless have to went through it. Like saying hello to a bunch of strangers in your house because your parents wants you to be nice to the family. Mioda didn't caught on that and Mitarai...he was too focused on making his fantasy of performing with an idol becoming reality. The only thing that could wake him up from this state would be screaming 'new drawing pad'. Probably - but Hinata was sure for only about 58%.

"M-Mioda-san! The lyrics!"

"Ah! _Within me desert-"_

 _How long is this song by the way?_ Hinata analysed quickly median length of pop song being a 3 minutes 45 seconds and prepared himself for a 2 minutes 40 seconds more of waiting.

_"I'm planting palm trees, shrubs-"_

_~*~_

 "Yay! Thank you for coming!" Mioda yelled into a microphone as she twirled around, somehow avoiding getting knocked over by a cable. "Thanks for your support! Today sang for you Ibuki-chan and Ryota-chan!"

_Mioda still lives in her own star delusions..._

"Th-Thank you very much?" hesitantly added Mitarai after her.

"Ryota-chan, do you think Ibuki should make herself a cute pop-idol attire?" Mioda pointed at her current clothes that were giving off a rock-like feeling. "She feels strange singing this without a proper costume."

"Mioda, have a second?"

"Hajime-chan!" she turned around on her foot and stayed in that pose, balancing on her toes like a ballet dancer. "What would you possibly want from Ibuki? Is this a love advise?"

"No, I wanted to ask you what were you doing with Komaeda." Hinata avoided looking at Mioda's face, mainly out of embarrassment but also to avoid seeing her going full fuyoshi mode. "He doesn't want to face me. Everytime I knock his door he goes 'I'm sorry but could you please come other time? I'm not in a mood to face you'. What the hell does that even means?!" Mitarai chuckled shyly seeing perfect imitation of Komaeda's voice. Hinata could most of the time reproduce perfectly his pattern of speaking. It still hurt animator that Hinata wouldn't let it be part of his animations.

"Nagito-chan finally faces his undying love for Hajime-chan that he kept bottled up for a years!" sing-sang Mioda, while swirling around one more time, this time getting closer to Hinata. Her colorful hair looked like night waves.

"Stop!" Mitarai threw in. "You are supposed to hook up!" he reminded while pointing accusingly at Mioda.

"Nay, there's no way that'll happen, Ryota-chan." cut him heartlessly girl, waving dismissively with her hand.

"My ship sank!" cried out poor boy, clenching with fists his chest. He was a second before falling on knees and complaining about cruelty of Ship God. If such exists that is.

"Yeah" Hinata gulped, as if this was his embarrassment and faced the girl in front of him. "Mioda, any idea why Komaeda is..."

_One hell of a problem when it comes to human existention and every single thing can resolve into him going back into his shell and refusing any help. Not to mention brain process that would even a team of psychologist, neurologist, psychotherapist and psychiatrist make rip hair off heads._

"well, Komaeda?"

"Nagito-chan spend a night, two days ago, with Ibuki and Sonia-chan on therapy." consciously or not, Mioda sing-sang her words in rhythm of the just ended song.

"Yeah, I thought so when Hanamura said he saw you three together."

_Because, of course, they wouldn't have a threesome as he suggested..._

"How...How it went? The therapy, I mean." Hinata hesitantly asked. He wasn't one to pry into personal matters of others, he wasn't Sai, but his gut was telling him that something was way off more than it usually would. And when something was off his first choice was - 87% of time - to check on Komaeda. Some fuzzy memories from a game didn't let him off from this one.

"Mmhm~ How it went?~ How it went~" Mioda balanced on her feet from heels to toes before she settled for satisfying her answer. "Nagito-chan is still closed-in-closet but slowly peeks from the inside."

"Aha..."

_What the hell does **that** even mean?_

"Right now he's facing other therapists. Ibuki personally asked for their assistance!"

"Their?" Hinata frowned. His brain done this equation without any help from implanted talents. "Plural form means it's either Koizumi and Saionji or Kuzuryuus."

"Bee-booo~ Bad answer!" Mioda yelled cheerfully before tilting her head with a pout. "In a way."

"Then who-" sentence got cut when realization hit Hinata and his face lose all its color. "Wait, you didn't, did you?"

"Kya! Hajime-chan is angry at Ibuki and he'll kill her with a laser beams from his eyes!" the girl run quickly behind Mitarai, in a strange attempt of using him as a shield "You shall not pass through this! No crimes when a witness is here!"

"Why am I protective wall?!" protested, pushed by Mioda, Mitarai. He had long list of dreams he still wanted to achieve and getting devoured by a functioning human experiment wasn't written in there. "My stats are too low!"

"Mioda, just answer me one thing" Hinata took two steps forward. Mitarai started to shiver, Mioda only picked with one eye over his shoulder. "Did you, or didn't you, send Komaeda to Kuzuryuu twins?"

"Maybe she did that..." answered girl from behind her human shield, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

"...Oh my-"

 

~*~

 

"What, the hell, am I seeing here?" muttered Kuzuryuu as he entered into library. Komaeda was currently sitting on a floor where one of the twins - the one with double buns - was drawing on his face while the other one was tying his hair up with a ribbon that a moment ago was in her hair.

"Komaeda oni-chan! Stop moving so much!" complained the artistic one, changing her crayon from green to red.

"Uncle Komaeda! What do you think about this braid?" said hairdresser one, pointing at a mess that was one of his strand.

"What I should draw next?" pondered the first one, looking at a free space that was his neck. "Flower or kitty?"

"Do you want another one?" her sister asked jumping on Komaeda’s leg while pulling his hair as close to his eyes as possible.  

"They made you their play-doll." stated Kuzuryuu as he chuckled at the sight of his daughters having fun with a person they once considered the most dangerous.

"I don't mind that much." Komaeda turned his head towards entering man, angering the artistic daughter by destroying her perfect line on his neck. "They much easier to deal with when they have something to do."

"Tell me about it...Natsumi, Haruko, go to dinner hall. Mom will brush your hair."

"Papa!" the loose haired girl run toward her dad and hugged his leg. The other one only snorted and started collecting her crayons.

"Way to spoil the fun, dad." complained her sister but said nothing more and, while dragging feet, went after her younger sister.

"Oh? Aren't they way too obedient?" pointed out Komaeda. It was more usual for them to scream and complain for at least five minutes before they would eventually agreed to leave a canvas that was Komaeda.

"Peko gave them a lecture after Lord case." explained their father as he let them out with his eye.

"Is that so?"

"More importantly, how are you?" Kuzuryuu's only eye looked down at Komaeda, without changing position of the head by even an inch. "Did Hinata, I don't know, injected your arm and made swallow a bunch of disgusting pills?"

"No. Hinata-kun still didn't said a word about results of the examination. It's like he wants to bend the reality. I know that I'll die soon."

"Ugh! M-Man, already went down fucking emo way." after pulling his hand down over face, Kuzuryuu eventually continued. "Listen, you bastard, clean that stupid face of yours and come with me to the third island." he pulled by a ribbon tied in white hair. His daughter had a surprising knack for a tights. "We need Souda for this talk."

"Ouch!" winced Komaeda as the ribbon let go of his tendrils, with some white strands still lingering to it.

"I'm _so_ not giving it back to her." mumbled Kuzuryuu as he looked at the ribbon in question with disgust. Komaeda only chuckled awkwardly in response.

 

~*~

The third island - or Souda's Kingdom, how some nicknamed it - welcomed them with Mioda's loud voice. She again must have taken advantage of their low security and started not so subtle performance somewhere where they have prohibited her from or turned on a karaoke, which was prohibited before sundown.

_"I'm planting palm trees, shrubs and starting a garden;"_

"Ah, it seems that Mioda-san didn't listened to us again." pointed out Komaeda when a song reached them from afar.

" _I'm looking up, bent in half;"_

"And she dragged Mitarai-kun with her."

"I bet that it was his idea." contradicted Kuzuryuu while tying down boat. "You know, he has some wild otaku fantasies and performance with an idol is probably high on list. And you don't need to ask Mioda for this shit twice."

"I'm aware of that." Komaeda eyes became foggy as he looked into a distance "She dragged me on a stage during our Newborn Party and wouldn't let go until I sang with her."

"Huh? Where's that coming from?"

"I don't know." Komaeda shrugged as he followed with his eyes the source of singing. "I just remembered that."

"Right..."

 

**Komaeda Nagito #memory New lifes on Island**

 

"Hinata!" Kuzuryuu yelled as he violently opened the doors to the room where Hinata was currently maintaining my hand. I could only watch as the little sparkles were dancing off, also wearing protective googles that distorted Kuzuryuu's figure. "Oh, for fuck sake, finally! There you are!"

"Good evening, Kuzuryuu-kun!" I greeted him with a smile and wave of my real hand. As long as prosthetic was in Hinata's care, I couldn't even raise finger.

"What is it, Kuzuryuu?" Hinata asked while welding some parts of my hand, not even for a second averting his gaze from work. "If you have a problem with AC, Souda-"

"I...It's...not...fucking...AC..." he mumbled between catching his breath. He must have been running for a long time. "It's...It's Peko...she-"

"What?!" Hinata stopped and pulled his googles up, reviling his widened in surprise, mismatched eyes. "We should still have two weeks! How?"

"Don't fucking ask me!" answered with either anger or worry Kuzuryuu while quickly catching his breath afterwards. " I need you...and Tsumiki...like...fucking...now!"

_He's so exhausted, yet he still have a strength to add a curse there? I'm truly worried about his descendants._

"Got it!" Hinata put down all his tools and send me an apologizing smile. "Sorry. A bad luck, right?" Gloves hit a table with a thud. The same was for googles. Hinata opened in hurry one of cabinets, however better to say that he jerked it, and pulled out two hospital robes.

"Just go, Hinata-kun." I assured him with a knowing smile. "Kuzuryuu-san and child needs your help now." In the next second he bolted out of examination room and sprinted up the stairs. I think he apologized one more time before disappearing om the first floor. "Well, there's only one thing left."

 

***

 

"Okay, why-the hell-are you-motherfuckers-here?!" almost yelled Kuzuryuu as he pointed at Sai, Hanamura, Souda and Owari who were standing in front of hospital entrance.

"Why aren't ya with your wife?" asked curiously Owari tilting her head, by accident starting panic talk.

"He probably fears that he’ll lost lust after seeing her lower hole spilling something out." murmured Hanamura and giggled to himself. "Something that's not juice."

"Hinata doesn't want crowd in Peko's room." came timid answer from, averting everyone's eyes, Kuzuryuu. In a second his expression changed and looked at everyone, yet no-one in particular. "And you still didn't answered-"

"Ah, Souda-kun!" I waved to person in question from behind Kuzuryuu's back with my right hand. "I see you brought a company."

"Ya betcha' I did!" answered Souda with a pumb of fist.

"Why the fuck you called them?!" yelled Kuzuryuu into my ear, which he reached by pulling me down by shirt. "I don't need any loge of taunters, for fuck's sake!"

"What's taunters?" Owari nudged standing next to her Souda, sending him a dumb look and tilt of head.

"The same as scoffer." said Sai, dressed as Kizakura, only to take a sip from his flask in the next second.

"What?"

"Hater?" suggested Souda, scratching his head, probably looking for the closest synonym.

"Oh! I get now!" 

"I'm sorry, Kuzuryuu-kun but I had to ask Souda-kun." I pulled up my left arm with disfunctioning hand still attached to it. "I can't do much with it."

"Oh. Okay, sorry." Kuzuryuu cleared his throat as he let go of my shirt. "You're clean then. Souda!"

"Y-Yes?!" as he heard his name, Souda's voice cracked.

"Why didn't you came alone?!” single dwelled holes in mechanic body. ”I believe you're more then enough to repair our weirdo's hand..."

"The question is" Hanamura raised two of his fingers. "what you did to damage your hand, Komaeda-san? Also, I believe he came alone multiple times.”

"Kuzuryuu" Sai raised his voice, probably to save Souda from the killing gaze of One-eyed yakuza but also to cut off Hanamura's jokes. "How's your wife doing?"

"I don't know."admitted Kuzuryuu with a blush. "Neither Hinata nor Tsumiki let me in." he kicked a tiny rock next to his foot. It hit Hanamura's belly and bounced back, landing in almost exact spot. "Shit."

"Then it's good we're here." Souda raised his right hand, the one with a tool box. "I do some adjustments here and there, and we'll keep you a company."

 

***

 

"Okay, here I go!" announced Souda before he pushed my hand back into place, attaching back nerves.

"Ouch!" I winced as a wave of short lived, acute pain went through my whole arm. I could have went through it a good deal of times but it still felt unpleasant. Even more with every consecutive time, if I'm allowed to say so. At least it's not raining. I need a handful of painkillers when weather is changing.

"Move your fingers a bit. I want to see if everything is alright." I clenched my hand into a fist a few times. A metallic joints stretched and filled room with mechanical sounds. Souda's face lit up. "Yup. Everything's great!"

"Thank you, Souda-kun! That was a won-"

"Yeah, 'a wonderful display of my talent and so full of hope' blah blah, yeah, I know." cut me off Souda while rolling his eyes. A little smile still lingered to his lips as he collected back all his tools. "Still, thanks for calling me."

"Who else would I ask? Beside Hinata-kun, you're the only one who knows how to maintain this." I pushed a random button around elbow and a flashlight came out from the surface of palm. "It's your project afterall." Souda blushed a bit and started to play with his pliers. A rhythmic click-clack soon filled room.

"Hey, what do you think it'll be?" he finally asked. "Boy or girl?"

"Hmm?" while still struggling with hiding back flashlight, I looked at Souda. "You're asking me? Why?"

"Well, you're lucky!" 

_Yes, I'm aware. Do I look like I need a reminder or something?_

"You have bigger chances of guessing right than me! I need to get back my console."

_Oh, so that's the reason._

"Chances are still fifty-fifty." I tilted my head for a sudden thought. The flashlight, that I was sure was finally hidden, jumped back. "Unless there are twins, then it's 1:3. Or triplets, then-"

"Stop with the math!" he cut me quickly, before my rambling would get too long. While pushing down two buttons he hide the flashlight. This time it didn't jumped out like a pierrot on a spring. At least I don't have crank. "I get it, okay? I get it! My question is - what is  _your_ opinion."

"My opinion, hmm?" I again tilted my head and recalled some events form the last few months. "Not that it matters, an opinion of someone like me is not worth that much-

"Just say it!"

"But I think it's safe to say that'll be girl. I saw the other day Kuzuryuu-kun taking ribbons and plushy animals from the Rocket Punch. While it could be also a present for Kuzuryuu-san, he also asked Mioda-san to make a pink comforter."

"Sweet! Thanks! So it's a girl. Hahaha."

"Or girls."

"Hey, just because Kuzuryuu-the wife has gigantic bump doesn't mean it's twins, triplets, fourthplets or anything."

"It's quadruplets, Souda-kun."

"Oi, you." unnoticed by anyone, Kuzuryuu showed up in the door frame. Souda gulped but didn't dare to move his head back to face tiny gangster. The blood lust fuming from him was more than enough to forget how to use tongue. "What did you say about my wife, you fucker?!"

"Yiek!"a girly scream that you would expect from Tsumiki or Saionji escaped from Souda's mouth.

"What's happening?!" in a second Owari stood behind Kuzuryuu, with a piece of meat still in mouth that she swallowed up quickly. "Whose bloodlust it is? I want to fight with them!"

"Apologize to Peko!"

"Wha?! It's yours, Chibi Gangsta?!"

At this moment my flashlight decided to reappear.

***

After an hour of arguing inside examination room, all of us settled on a tiny, plastic chairs next to the labour ward. Hardly anything was heard from the inside.

"Hey, how long you think it'll take?" asked nervous Kuzuryuu, who for this whole time was tapping his foot nervously.

"Pretty long." answered Owari, who sat with her legs spread wide without caring that she was the only girl between them. Unlucky for Hanamura, she still had training shorts on herself. "It can even take a whole night."

"You kidding?!" Souda raised his voice. "That's not what they show in the movies!"

"I remember back at home how long mother and others were doin'." Owari put her hands behind head and some sort of grimace disturbed her face. "The screams wouldn’t end. Believe me, it's heaven now."

"Whole night, you say..." Kuzuryuu's face got darker and his eye became strangely foggy.

"Well, it's because she have to squeeze out not only baby but also placenta."

"So, it's like she gives birth twice?" asked curiously Sai, emptying his lunch box.

"Yep, pretty much it."

"Haahaha." bitter laugh. It took a while before we matched it with its owner.

"Oh, Kuzuryuu lost it." commented Sai. "Hanamura, give him something to eat."

"Better start drinking already." said Souda as he pulled out from Hanamura's basket a large bottle of our local wine. "We need to celebrate that our class is getting bigger!"

"I don't think you can count baby as a class member..." I pointed out while taking from Hanamura a box of risotto. Sai and Owari already finished three.

"Details. Come on, let's booze!"

And with those words Souda and Kuzuryuu started to pour in themselves alcohol in such amount that I was surprised they could still speak. Kuzuryuu did as a form of self-anesthesia but Souda probably just wanted to taste last years bottles.

_Many hours later of philosophical questions, worries, quarrels and reconciling more than one could count, choosing the best godfather and Kuzuryuu-kun screaming that he loves Peko-san and apologize for making her go through all this pain both of them finally fell asleep. We all woke up an hour before Tsumiki-san finally opened the door and let Kuzuryuu-kun inside to see his wife and offspring. Souda-kun was so happy from winning his bet that he turned on siren to call everyone and inform what just happened. Saionji-san was angry for waking her up so early and both Souda-kun and Kuzuryuu-kun had hard time with Koizumi-san busting theirs chops. I think it's safe to say that all of us were drunk on hope and happiness that day. Two days later, when Hinata-kun and Tsumiki-san were sure that nothing would happen and had enough sleep, we threw a party. We brought a balloons and streamers to the hospital, as well as big screen to karaoke. I think it was the only time that I saw so many cookies with words 'congratulation on having sex' and 'one shoot - two goals' in one place. Kuzuryuu-kun almost killed Hanamura-kun for that. Koizumi-san was running everywhere with her camera with Saionji-san clenching her elbow, so most of that party I spend sitting in the corner with Hinata-kun, drinking milk tea and talking about stuff. That was until Mioda-san dragged both of us out, insisting that it's not good to just sit there. She pushed us in front of a screen with a chosen randomly song._

"Are...we supposed to sing?" I asked curiously with a tilt of the head.

"Mioda! Come back here!" Hinata yelled after jumping off the stage Mioda. "I'm  _not_ doing it!"

"Go Hinata-oni!" cheered Saionji. "My ears still bleed from Souda-oni performance, there's no way it could get worse!"

"What did you said?!" yelled offended person, for a second getting pack of ice off his head.

"I agree with her." said Owari, raising one of her hands, without a moment of spare continued stuffing food into herself. A various of voices accompanied her and soon Hinata's defense was destroyed.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-kun but it seems that we have to do it." I bowed a little while holding microphone. "I apologize in advance for my awful voice."

"That's not an issue!" he whisper-yelled at me while trying to maintain natural colors on his face.

"Ibuki won't let you pass until you sing, boys!" reminded the colorful girl.

"Mioda-san, that's not the wisest-"

"Yeah! Listen to your boyfriend!" Hinata quickly agreed, without even letting me finish sentence in a wild attempt of escaping from his fate.

"Just sing, you two assholes!" shout Kuzuryuu, who sat on a chair next to his wife. ”I'm tired of hearing her gay thoughts out loud."

Hinata grumbled something under his breath and dragged his feet to the front of the monitor. Hesitant pick of a second microphone was more that enough to guess how he felt.

"As much as I'm happy to sing together with Hinata-kun, I'm sorry you were pushed into it." Hinata only scowled and gripped harder microphone in his hand.

"You don't have to-argh! Let's just sing, okay!" that's what he said, yet changed love ballad to some old rock. "It's only one song."

"Smile for the camera!" Koizumi chirped while pointing lens at us.

_It didn't ended on one song. My and Hinata'-kuns performance turned out to be so nice that our classmates were asking for an encore. No matter how much Hinata-kun was protesting, Mioda-san wouldn't give up until we sang together for five times more, and it was only because Saionji-san was getting tired of soft music. After that Hinata-kun run off from a stage, mumbling something under his breath. Mioda-san decided to keep me on a stage longer and pulled Mitarai-kun in, to perform some song from anime. Saionji-san, who was the next to run on a stage chosen Mioda-san's song. On this night we lost half of windows in the hospital and Hinata-kun banned karaoke inside buildings. After he convinced Kuzuryuu-kun to not murder Saoinji-san over 'planned assassination on his daughters', that is. We were lucky that Peko-san was still prohibited to move._

_I still have that photo of us singing together._

 

 

Before long they finally reached a pole where almost on top a tiny human figure in yellow clothes was dealing with cables.

"Hey, dumbass!" shouted Kuzuryuu for what yellow figure moved a little. "Cut the red one!" 

"First - it's not a bomb, you girly face!" Souda yelled in response before his eyes laid on Komaeda "Second - a bomb expert is standing next to you."

"Eh? Where?" Komaeda looked around trying to find any possible suspect.

"Third - What do you want?"

"We need to have a Manly Talk." serious tone of Kuzuryuu's voice once again reminded Komaeda who was once running an enormous amount of gangsters. Souda didn't bothered much with it, only perked up for the news that was brought to him. Even his face was now matching his hair, but neither Komaeda nor Kuzuryuu could see that.

"...give this genius two more minutes!" was the enthusiastic answer of their mechanic, two octaves higher than it was needed in opinion of two boys standing down.

Souda, true to his words, ended his work in no more than two minutes and got down to his guests. Before he faced them he took off his hiking equipment and gloves. In the distance Mioda and Mitarai stopped singing, so musician decided to yell into microphone instead.

"Okay, what's the reason behind Boys Night's out?" He asked with a smile so bright that it could blinded if his teeth were shining.

"It's not-Ah~" Kuzuryuu didn't have enough strength in himself to fight with Souda's worldview and just groaned, leaving his statement as it was. Komaeda on the other hand was looking at a blue and yellow butterfly above their heads. "We need to confront Hinata."

"Eh, my bro Hinata? Why?"

"He and our Hope-weirdo here have to go through a _Talk_ " word 'talk' got specially empathized to let Souda know how important it was "that they, apparently, avoid as much as possible."

"Hmm?" Komaeda turned his head down to look at Kuzuuryuu "I'm not avoiding anything." the look he was given back clearly said 'fool others but don't try it with me'.

"You run away from breakfast as soon as possible, like" Kuzuryuu furrowed, searching for a right word. "facing Hinata would make you break a frigging leg or something."

"Well..."

"And, you're asking Tsumiki for infusion. And we all know that you dislike her...accidents." his face got red and his hand started to unconsciously play with his tie. He cleared throat before continuing with his evidences. "Lastly, you agreed to look after my offspring, just to be sure that Hinata won't come closer than an island." Kuzuryuu rolled with his only eye. "We all know that he doesn't handle them well."

"Now that you mention this, it makes sense." Souda nodded for his friend's words. "Normally you act as if you were glued to him or somethin'. Kinda strange to start avoiding him now, out of nowhere."

"I'm not avoiding him. I just don't want to talk with him right now."

"Y'now, that's what people calls avoiding." Souda threw an arm around their shoulders. "Why don't we grab some at the beach? Ya now, like a mens on a vacations?"

"Souda, you idiot!" Kuzuryuu groaned while massaging one of his eyebrows. "it's too fucking early to drink already!"

"Don't be such a tight ass. Komaeda has nothing against."

"I can't mix medicines with alcohol."

"For real? Come on! Hinata's not looking."

"You should't urge him to drink."

"Speak for yourself. You were the first to pour him at your wedding."

"That was different!"

"Nagito-chan!" Mioda, like always, showed out of nowhere and run to Komaeda's side, hugging him with all her might. "Save Ibuki! Or else Hajime-chan will kill her!"

"I'm, SO NOT, dragging you with us on Boy's Night Out or whatever this shit is."

~*~

"Kazuichi-chan! One more!" Mioda made a toast with her empty, triangle glass.

"Yeah! *hic* One more!" Souda again poured into his and Mioda's glasses a colorful drink, that had more juice than alcohol, and they again started to drink down.

"Tch, look at them. Destroying livers at it finest." commented disgusted Kuzuryuu as he sipped his maracuya juice with ice cubs swirling inside.

"Hmm~" Komaeda only hummed and took a bite out of his shaved ice with orange juice. Over years he learned that humming seemed to do a trick for most of his conversations.

Their beach bar, which they built for a possible future customers, had all sorts of juices from their islands and shaved ice - to cool down twins but no one dared to say it out loud. Even if Hinata had a policy for 'not using it until we have a party' sometimes they were ignoring it and sneaked in for a cool one. Until no one dropped down due to an amount of alcohol flowing in their veins, he didn't complained. But Koizumi would still send juice-thief to refill missing liquid.

Kuzuryuu and Komaeda were sitting on a two out of ten bar chairs looking at Souda, who currently found his metier as a bartender. Their a bit drunk friend was shaking vigorously with silver cylinder, before a strange mix of ice cubs, juice and alcohol came to his liking. Mioda was cheering on him from her currently occupied place on the counter. Her cheeks were a bit rosy but it was a mystery if at fault were sun or Souda's experiments.

"Mioda, you are _a wonderful_ drinking-buddy!"

"Hahaha! Thank you, Kazuichi-chan!"

"If you're done with your booze" Kuzuryuu empathized his words with a slam of his glass. "then start having the talk with me."

"Oi, lose up there~" Souda chirped and took a sip of his drink. "And to think that you're from Hokkaido..."

"That has nothing to do with it, you Tokushima fiend." snorted Kuzuryuu and swirled with his glass, making ice cubs rattle. "And I'm from Osaka. I just was send by pops to Hokkaido."

"By the way, which prefecture was Hajime-chan from?" girl tilted her head almost at ninety degree angle in thought, with one finger massaging her temple. "Ibuki always forgets."

"Kanagawa in Kanto." Komaeda quickly filled in for what Mioda send him a look. "I remember because it's close me. I'm from Saitama, but I spend most time in Wakayama in Kansai."

"Uwah! Everyone lived so far~ Ibuki spend most of her time in Shibuya~"

"Now, that we all are sure where we were born" Kuzuryuu stole all of attention on himself. "can we, for fucks sake, continue with our meeting? Peko will kill me if I won't come soon."

"Okay, okay." Souda mumbled something that sounded like 'hen-pecked hubby' and tied his hair into a messy bun on his neck. With that he took a white cloth and started to wipe off a random glass. "Welcome, to the Beach Fun Club. How a nice, a bit mysterious and cool bartender, as me, can help you?"

"Oh, fuck me gently with a chainsaw, Souda! That's stupi-"

"Ibuki wants Sex on a Beach!"

"Wha?!"

"That's a drink's name." Komaeda informed as he took the last bite of his ice.

"I know!" Kuzuryuu put his elbow on a counter and lowered his face on a hand with a groan. "Shit, you guys are hopeless."

"Well, there." Souda put a glass full of greenish liquid next to Komaeda. "What's a name of the one that makes you drink?"

"Actually, it's you Sou-"

"Play along! I'm a bartender!" Souda, even more vigorously, was now wiping glass. Probably forcing some of his inner anger at it. Komaeda sighted and took a said glass and cloth in his own hands, trying to clean a smudges on his own.

"Why everyone always assumes that other people are the reason for feeling down?"

"We're pretty limited here" Kuzuryuu put his chin on a hand and moved his head so he could better see all his friends with the only eye he had. "You're not dealing with merchants, wild animals didn't attacked you, you're immune for gay-fanatic over here" he pointed at Mioda who giggled in response "so the only thing left is Hinata and, possibly, your health."

"That was deep, man." commented Souda, putting his elbows on a counter. Mioda used this opportunity to untangle his hair and started making braid-nest out of it.

"Ah, I get it!" Komaeda smiled and looked to his left at tiny ex-yakuza. "It's interrogation, right?"

"No!" yelled at the same time Souda and Kuzuryuu, only to second later realize their mistake. Mioda cursed in silence when pink tendrils escaped her hands.

"Thank you! I was sure you didn't listened when I asked you to not shove lamp into my face the last time!"

"Ibuki wrote a song like that!" Mioda threw away half-made braid and started to play on invisible guitar. " _Dark, dark, dark;There's too dark, dark, dark;_ "

"We are only, y'now, kinda, well, Kuzuryuu?!" Souda stuttered before sending his friend a begging for help look.

"Why the fuck are you putting everything on me?!" protested Kuzuryuu with a tiny blush painting his cheeks. 

" _Hey! Didn't ya hear?! Don't shove lamp into my face!"_ Mioda, on the other hand, decided to dive into her own idol fantasy and continued singing - tuning off the rest of the world.

"Okay, the thing this idiot is trying to say-"

"Hey!"

" _It's blinding! Too bright! I can't see when I hid the shovel!"_

"Since we only have eighteen people here, we should all keep together and helping those in need. A-and your pathetic face looks like you're in need."

"...I appreciate that." said after a moment of hesitation Komaeda and put down a glass he was cleaning. His pale, almost gray face looked back at him from reflection.

"He's not going to say anything unless we make him drunk. Kuzuryuu, tie him to a chair! I'll do the rest." Souda suggested for what welcomed him irritated stare of one eye.

"What is it with you and tying him?"

" _Bam-bam! Policeman down! Bam-bam! I'll see you on the other side!"_

"Mioda, help!" Souda pulled their musician by a hem of the white baggy top. "You were dating him! Besides Hinata, you're the only one who maintains him."

"Is Ibuki? Is she? Wha?! She gained a title of 'Nagito-chan's master'?! That's kinky and should only belong to Hajime-chan's!"

"Mioda~" cried Souda, begging her non-verbally to do anything. She seamed to finally catch on that.

"Nagito-chan, admit what bites you or Ibuki will tear apart your library with a help of Sonia-chan's hamsters~" chirped finally Mioda, sounding way off from threatening someone.

"That would be problematic."

"Would it? Or wouldn't it? Ibuki does wonders~"

For the next few minutes they were staring each other down, but Kuzuryuu and Souda felt like it took a years. The air was a bit stiff and one of them was afraid they'll suffocate. Finally Komaeda exhaled and eventually fell under the treat. 

"I just don't want Hinata-kun to go through it all." he finally admitted under the pressure of atmosphere. If dismissing people and making them hate him worked in the past, the moment Hinata showed up in his life it became pointless. "It's not worth it."

"He's emo again..." said at the same time Souda and Mioda. After exchanging a look between them, they gulped down their respective drinks as the only comment for this.

"You need a help. A therapeutics help."

"What would be so bad with Hajime-chan knowing?" Mioda leaned over Komaeda. To achieve this she only had to move a little on the counter. "A little bit of angst didn't hurt anyone. It's not like Nagito-chan is dying."

"I am."

"You're not." said at the same time Souda and Mioda, quickly giving out with it their lie. Kuzuryuu didn't utter a word but noted in his mind that this two were working on a surprisingly similar wavelengths. 

"I've never thought I'll say it but it seems that Souda was right." was what gangster settled for.

"How dare-I mean, of course I was right!" Souda puffed out his chest in pride. "What I was right about, again?"

"Komaeda doesn't want Hinata to say that." concluded Kuzuryuu while swirling his glass. "Well, I believe that Hinata is his second most important person after Naegi, so that makes sense."

"Makoto-chan is a celebrity crush." corrected Mioda while pointing her finger at Kuzuryuu's nose. "It falls under different category."

"O-Okay?" reluctantly agreed gangster under a strange pressure.

"Aw, you don't want your best buddy to say you anything bad?" Souda sold his best, wide grin with shining white shark-like teeth. "That's kinda cute."

”So Hinata-kun has something bad to say, afterall?” asked Komaeda tilting his head to the side. Souda and Kuzuryuu jumped a little when they realized what does this question holds. Mioda started to count birds flying above rocky beach.

"N-N-N-No! O-Of course nay!"

"Oh, right." Kuzuryuuu groaned and tapped his eyebrow with two fingers. "You ear-dropped on the secret meeting."

"WHAT?!" Souda loud voice was way too close for sensitive ears of Mioda and less sensitive of Komaeda. Both of them jumped uncomfortably, not to mention that Mioda almost lost hearing in the right one. "You knew?!"

"Didn't you listened during breakfast? You even stood next to him." pointed out Kuzuryuu.

"I kinda, forgot, about it."

"KOMAEDA!" Both Kuzuryuu and Komaeda looked back to see the source of the scream. Mioda and Souda decided for a simple stretch of neck. "Sit where you are!"

A few meters from the tiny bar stood Hinata, with a twig in his hair which would be a sign of walk through a jungle. His whole posture screamed 'I went through enough today and if you as much as dare to oppose I'll find a way to make you pay' starting from index finger locked on Komaeda, through bags under his eyes, ruffled hair to a loose shoelace. Two quick breaths and he already were marching towards their little party. 

"Wha! Hajime-chan is going for his boyfriend in the most badass way!" yelled in a high-pitched voice Mioda while hugging her sides and winging legs. "Uwagh! Ibuki's jelous~"

"We're not dating." out of habit Komaeda corrected her but his voice didn't sound as strong as it was two seconds ago.

"Wait! Hajime-chan's still angry at Ibuki!" Mioda slapped both of her cheeks in a sudden resolution thereon she jumped off the counter and ran with a scream. "He'll kill her with a laser beams!"

"Mission accomplished. Let's go, Souda." Kuzuryuu pulled away poor, disoriented boy from behind the counter.

"What? We were on mission?"

"Just go, for fuck's sake."

And so, just like that, Komaeda was left alone for a wrath of their leader. His inner instinct was telling him to run as fast as possible, like a rabbit that smelled fox. But even if in his past life he was rabbit, the predator this time wasn't a fox but cobra who hypnotized pray with its eyes, getting closer and closer. Not being able to move past this mismatched irises Komaeda waited for his punishment.

"Finally" Hinata sat next to his friend. His breathing was uneven due to earlier exercises. Agreeing to help Sonia catch her black hamster was an awful plea which his kind heart couldn’t turn down. "I was looking for you everywhere."

"I'm sorry." Komaeda swiftly apologized. The pattern of Hinata's speech and a single look on his exhausted face were more than enough to awake guilt inside him.

"You better be." Hinata poured himself some orange juice. "I wanted to talk with you for the past few days."

"I can't imagine-"

"Shut up." the juice disappeared from glass in the second. Hinata's throat wasn't dry anymore, so his sentences would be composed of more than five words."You damn-well know why." tanned finger unconsciously massaged furrowed eyebrows. "You’re like a child that thinks if they cover their eyes, no one will see them.”

"..." Komaeda didn't answer. He just put a straw into his green drink and tried Souda's composition. Hinata looked at him, waiting for any sign of acknowledgment or distortion on face but the only thing that moved were white straws of hair. His inner Super High School Level Stylist begged for a hairbrush, conditioner and scissors to take care of this mess. Why did he even attempted to braid them? But it was Hinata's prayers that got listened to and a half glass later Komaeda eventually looked at him, yet without taking more actions.

"I'm doing everythi-"

"Everything in your power." bitterly interrupted Komaeda, averting gaze. All his focus directed at straw and stirring drink. "I didn't knew that a cant like these were part of being Super High School Level Doctor."

"Welcome, passive-aggressive remarks." a sight and flip of eyes were a given reaction of Hinata in most of cases. This one also wasn't spared of that. "It's been a while."

"What do you expect from me, Hinata-kun?" alchemist-like behavior stopped with a short lived snap. Komaeda voice cracked as he tried to raise it to reasonable volume. "That I'll snap in a second and start crying?" His eyes squinted, as if he was throwing a challenge. "Or go rampage and destroy an island?"

"I'm just worried how you're feeling." Hinata was used to this behavior. It wasn't often for Komaeda to act this way, but whenever he was, Hinata knew that the first step is to listen to all sorts of personal attacks. Frankly, he was surprised to not hear anything about being from the Reserve Course yet. "We didn't talk since our farm duty."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Yeah, about that." as if he was exchanging place with Kuzuryuu, Hinata took exactly the same position as he. Komaeda questioned the idea of steeling postures from the people with whom they tend to spend too much time with. Does he also repeats some of Hinata or Mioda's actions? "I smell bullshit."

"We're too far from the farm."

"Komaeda, for the love of my sanity, cooperate!"

"..." as stubborn as always, he only tilted his head to the side in a learned obliviousness. Hinata's only response was a deep sight. Changing strategy would be more sufficient so he tried another angle.

"I know that you have this therapy thing with Mioda and Sonia. I hope that this makes you better." Komaeda slightly upraised his eyebrows and averted Hinata gaze, which he know was a move born from embarrassment. "And if you want to talk with me...well, my doors are always open."

"I know." a dry reply. Not the best outcome but still far better from what Hinata's first analysis deduce. "Is this everything that you wanted to say?"

 _Now to the harder part_ run through Hinata's head before he braced himself for the Talk he wished he wouldn't have.

"About your results..."

"I _know_ it's bad." Komaeda hesitantly pulled him by a hem of Hinata's short sleeve, like a frightened child. "Please, spare me."

"You're half right." Komaeda perked up a bit, out of curiosity. Hinata send him a warming smile. "Is it worse than I wanted - yes. Is this the worst it cold have been - no." artificial arm released his sleeve. "There's still hope, Komaeda."

"Hmm." was eventual answer. Not stained by a single emotion. Hinata scratched his cheek.

"Okay, why do I feel like you're not happy?"

"..."

"Should I search for Tanaka?" a threat made Komaeda roll his eyes. "His hamsters are currently pinking."

"...Do you know how many times I've heard that?"

"..." Hinata was silent, analyzing how many it would be, but his brain took to many possibilities and routes, resulting in an answer that wagged between 27 to 89. If he was seeing a doctor during his despair time it could even reach 122. 

"It isn't that bad. It'll get better. We're positive we'll cure you." Komaeda repeated all that he remembered from his time in hospitals in a similar, unemotional manner. "The only things that changes are the strength of smell and drips." For the first time in a days he looked directly into Hinata's eyes. "I've became numb to them. They are nothing but a empty words, created to make people feel better. Lie said thousand times becomes true but comforts said tenth time lost its meaning.” a brief, bitter laugh eluded from pale lips. ”I'm sure that there isn't much that would be done."

"Komaeda, answer me" Hinata tilted his head and put hand on Komaeda's shoulder, making him jump a little. Komaeda never fully learned to accept physical contact. "did I ever said to you some of this 'empty words' that you mentioned?"

"..." dully green eyes became foggy, looking somewhere far away. Even more than beyond. Hinata waited peacefully for minute, then two, then five.

"Wait, you're seriously thinking about it?!"

"I don't think so." came a final reply with a playful smile plastered on the ashen face. "You're awfully blunt."

"Ugh."

"What?" Komaeda asked in panic, worried that he said something that pissed Hinata. He was sure that, most of this time, it was Hinata’s part of personality that talked and getting forgiveness from him could be either easy or arduous. Nothing in between. Forgiveness from Kamukura part required a lot less. And the only moments when he heard this part was during silence, when brain run free, and on a famous cliche sentences.

"Nothing." mumbled irritated Hinata, before clearing his throat and continuing. Komaeda quietly sighted with relief. "The thing is-I still have a chances of winning.” fingers poked the scar under his hair. ”You have a genius in front of you, not a simple doctor. I can make miracles a reality.” This time Hinata lightly poked prosthetic hand with nail. ”so we can't lost hope yet." a chuckle escaped from behind his lips. "Man, I never through that I ever say this to you..."

"That's what I'm afraid of." almost whispered Komaeda.

"Eh?"

"In the begging" he started with a melancholic voice. "when I still had brown hair, I was full of hope. Hope for a better recovery. For a better story." he put his forehead against shoulder that he hold a moment ago. "But my story was getting worse and worse. So I hung on the hope, because that was the only thing that I had. We all know what that made me into. So this time I'm not going to believe in anything."

"Even me?" a hurt voice pulled by Komaeda’s heart strings, yet the only visible syndrom was his flinch. Eyeing his left arm, he eventually shrugged.

"...I can make an exception." he replied and Hinata could swear that his shoulder felt warmer. "If it's what you want."

 _The only thing that I truly desire -_ Contemplated Komaeda _\- is to be by your side, smile everyday while living in peace and from time to time visit land, to see how it recovered from the Incident. Nothing more and nothing less._

"I almost forgot." Hinata exclaimed, wincing in pain when he by accident hit bar with the knee.

”Hinata-kun! A-Are you alright?! It had to been my bad luck. I’m sorry!”

"Shit!” Hinata massaged his kneecap with a wince. ”Sonia wants to discuss something with you. Some urgent matter as she said to me. Argh, I need ice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone still reading this? I’m asking out of curiosity.  
> Now I’ll work with AToRDaEM(or my other fic which title I’m too lazy to write) and try to survive uni (midterm exams are coming, brace myself).  
> Why was I so stupid go there? (;_;)  
> Till I return from grave


	9. Importance of girls

 A light breeze brushed fair hair of a girl sitting on a edge of pool, her hand quickly grabbed large hat, with all might trying to keep it in place while the other one clutched to chest a bunch of papers. When it finally stopped she again looked down at the documents written in English and Russian, feeling heartache and burning in guts as new wave of anxiety mixed with worry welled up inside. As if sensing tugging her feeling one of sitting on her arm hamster nuzzled its head against her chin. She scratched back its nose, as a thanks, with a smile and a light giggle.

"Sonia-san!" Komaeda approached girl with Hinata at his side. A flinch that he made when he spotted papers in Sonia's hands had no chance of going unnoticed for Hinata's eyes. Not letting it stop him, Komaeda with a little shake of head squatted next to the princess with Hinata standing behind him. "Hinata-kun says you wanted something from me?"

"Yes, indeed." Sonia send him a smile before she nodded to Hinata with gratitude. "Thank you, Hinata-san. Your help was invaluable!"

"You mean finding Komaeda or your hamster?" Hinata glared at the black rodent that currently were too much occupied sniffing Sonia's hair. Sensing with animal instinct grudge directed at him, and maybe some of blood lust, little creature jumped under white shirt of its owner. It didn't help much considering the fact that black fur was easily seen through the fabric.

"I consider both of them a tremendously helpful in equal."

 _So for her, Komaeda is like a third hamster?_ Before he could stop his mind, image of white hamster with disheveled hair that squealed 'Hinata-kun' filled his head. He quickly shook with it to get rid of the cursed image.  _Begone!_

"I have a great matter to discuss with Komaeda-san but since  you are also here, Hinata-san, I would ask for your advice. That is, if you have nothing against it."

"Yeah, go for it."

"If you were to choose between this two corporations, which one would you prefer?" Sonia showed two fliers and gracefully exchanged her hand in his direction. Hinata scratched his head as he tried to make out what was written there in Cyrillic. Komaeda for a second was sure that it were prescriptions from his old GP.

"Emm, how should I say this? I can't read in Cyrillic." Hinata admitted avoiding the eyes of Sonia and agape face of Komaeda. Their shock was as translucent as their personalities allowed. Which meant Komaeda was over-dramatic and Sonia widened her eyes, slightly dimpling forehead. 

"Huh? How did that happened?" Komaeda clenched his arms with such power that Hinata could see how joints of his right hands works and hear hinges moving in the left one. "I thought that you have every talent in the world! Nothing less could be expected from Super High School Level Hope!"

"There never was a Super High School Level Russian Enthusiast or something." came dry response. It wasn't best time to dwell on what Hinata can't do. The other boy didn't catch that.

"What about Super High School Level Linguist?" Komaeda pried, ready to find a reason for which such a knowledge should be stored in Hinata's brain. Or simply researching thing he was the biggest fan of, at least once. "or Translator?"

"I can speak in fourteen languages but reading only in Japanese and Latin."

"Huh?" disappointed sigh escaped from Komaeda. Hinata would rather die and sell his secrets to Mioda than admit that the way he pouted looked cute. Almost like a hamster and no, not again this image. "That's kinda lame..."

"Shut up." was his very clever response, mind you. "Give me book and by the end of day I'll learn it."

"Oh, so it's kinda true what Mioda-san said." Hinata and Komaeda looked at her, both worried and curious how much culturally destructive her next words gonna be. "You are indeed bi in a lot of areas but bilingual is not one of them."

"Wha?!" Thanks to his long list of life experience, that to say were unusual would be understatement of a millennium, hardly ever something would make Hinata Hajime shocked and at lost of words. Yet, there was an existence of Komaeda, who simply never made anything easy for Hinata, and people questioning his sexual life. And with an innocent face worth of animated princess from 90's Sonia triggered something in him. 

"Don't repeat everything you'll hear from Mioda-san." Komaeda asked politely, sensing how last strings of Hinata's patience just broke and the next time he see Mioda it would be the best for everyone if she had shield with her. "More than a half of this is born for a fun and forgot two minutes later. That's what can be expected from someone as flashy and unique as Super High School Level K-on! Her world is so different that none can understand her mind! Such is the mind of musicians and artists! Nothing less expected!"

"Is that so? I apologize then to you Hinata-san." Sonia bowed her head. "I had no idea that those words were in any way harmful. I honestly apologize for making you feel wronged."

"It's not your fault. Now, I excuse you two, I have a trial to attend to." Hinata's smile twisted Komaeda's insides and it wasn't in a funny way that he was used to. It reminded him of a time when he by accident found what was inside Hinata's nightstand and told it to Souda, who later repeated it to Hanamura. This was a truly unique game of spin bottle. "Komaeda, Sonia, have fun."

"Got it." responded Sonia pumping her right arm. Black hamster peaked from behind a collar, curious if danger wandered off. Lighter one took interest in floating on the surface leaf and jumped into pool, vigorously wiggling with tiny paws to reach it.

"Hinata-kun..." Komaeda started, trying to come up with something that would speak to Hinata's mind in most pleasing him way but at the same time would save Mioda. "I know that I may not have much to say in regards of this, but I would appreciate if Mioda-san came back in one piece. I still have unfinished business with her."

"Don't worry." Becoming distant figure waved with his left hand dismissively, half joking-half serious. "But you own me a game match!"

"Oh my!" Sonia put her hand with perfectly manicured nails on a chin. "Is this what I just witnessed a so called game-date?"

"Haha. No, it's not, Sonia-san." Creamy hamster decided to end race and scratched wall of pool, trying to get out. Komaeda with hesitance put his left hand close enough for tiny pet to climb on it, he was still careful with it when it came to water. "Hinata-kun often gets bored and because my luck is capable of cheating him somehow it gets interesting for him." drenched rodent chose this moment to shake off water from its fur like a dog, getting surprisingly great number of drops on both of them.

"Cheesecake!" whined Sonia at hamster that decided to take a nap at her knees. "What do I have with you?" painted purple nail scratched still wet head. Black one finally leaved the safe place provided by a thin fabric of shirt to join comrade.

"Is that from Novoselic?" Komaeda pointed at papers in foreign language. With eyes glued to tiny pets, Sonia nodded once firmly in response.

"I may have done awful things to my people but I am still concerned about their well-being." a smile, much weaker than before, danced on her lips. "They will never give me back my crown and I understand that perfectly. Not without a reason Koizumi-san is banned from our...from their borders. But it is still a desire of mine to know that they are standing on their own two feet."

Silence as heavy as just mentioned matter fell between them intermittent only by their breaths and hamsters snoring. Just because it was well-know that all of them, while driven by despair, had committed unthinkable and unforgivable didn't meant it was easy to deal with consequences. Looking at it globally some, like Komaeda, had it easier, but Sonia was the one that lost all that she once knew. Her country, her people that once loved and cherished her, now ready to slaughter and impale her head on a pole as a payback for her reign. At least it was so stated in a letter that she received from their current leader. When the silence was too much to stand, one of them decided to speak.

"Sonia-san, I don't want to seem persistent but what was a reason that you called me." Komaeda's habit of playing with his artificial fingers revealed itself again, this time making a victim out of middle one. "Hinata-kun said that you wanted to discuss something with me. What kind of thing would be so important that a Super High School Level Princess would lower herself to talk with me?"

"Komaeda-san" Sonia send him one of her look, full of power and dignity, that more than once help her silence a crowd or problematic politician. "I believe that we had a conversation like this many times over this past few years of sharing experience called 'inhabiting Jabberwock Island' but in case you still forget I want you to remember that there is no such thing as low person here. We are all equal, hard working friends on a therapy. It applies to you as well as to me."

"Thank you, Sonia-san." it was his habit to thank anyone who would ever out loud say it to him. The first time he heard it, he didn't even believed in it, his life showed him one after another his worth. Later he was crying and rumbling for at least seven minutes before accepting it. Now he simply thanked in no more than four words, gratifying with it all his classmates.

"I spend last two evening in library researching for informations that would be sufficient for your current situation." without batting an eye she got back to their previous topic, straightening her back to sympathize with importance of it. "I think that I finally reach a conclusion that may or may not be passable for both of us."

"I'm all ears! It's an honor to hear such a words from no other than a Super High School Level Princess."

"I'm honored as well. It is very fortunate to have such a listener." a warm smile graced her lips before she continued her speech. "Before I start I wish to remind you that I do not posses any psychological degree. All that you are going to hear is simply my speculation."

"Hmm, I'm aware of it." Komaeda nodded in return, not even batting an eye on her, too focused on his artificial finger. With a sight Sonia rearranged all papers, just to be sure that they won't fly away as she turn her eyes away from them. Also it is considered rude to talk with someone and had in front your messy work. Her etiquette teacher would smack her head for that.

"Alright. Since we established that I am now going to announce the results of mine deliberation." she took of her hat and placed it between them. Her finger played with pink ribbons attached to the brim. "I knew you had lead a miserable life but I certainly never assumed that it was this poor." her other hand moved to her chest, to show pity with putting on a heart. "I can hardly imagine how you must have feel when you heard diagnosis and had no one to console with."

"Hmm."

"I am glad that now you have all of us." reassuring smile send by her would lighten up many in the past, yet Komaeda decided to ignore it. He wasn't here to hear that. "I think what I am trying to convey, is that you are no longer alone."

"Hmm?"

"What I got from what you told me and Mioda-san last time" Sonia panicked, seeing and feeling how all her effort doesn't seem to reach him. But she was taught to not panic and search for the best outcome, doesn't matter if on battlefield or facing civilians. Remembering the way Hinata always face Komaeda, she decided for mimicking him, yet in more polite way. "was that you were alone to such an extent that it is terrifying! Such solitude should be prohibited!" black hamster squealed, as if agreeing with their master, which earned them scratching on the head. "While I will not dwell upon your feeling for Hinata-san, I can clearly tell that you are the most afraid of being separated from him."

"You think so?" Komaeda asked with a dull expression, not expecting much. Apparently Sonia wasn't as good choice as he previously anticipated. "I just like being by his side, because that brings me most hope."

"It is no less than a truth that you bonded with him before bonding with us." blue eyes tried to catch green, but to do so a porcelain hand had to touch a flesh fingers flinching with metal ones. Komaeda finally turned his head in her direction and Sonia did let a silent cheer in her thoughts, even this small victory was still a victory. "You two surely have a special connection."

"Connection?"

 

_"If you want to find Hinata, the fastest way is to look for you. Seriously, it's like you both are some sort of connected radio stations._

 

"I suppose it might be true." admitted Komaeda as an old memory of Souda provided by his brain played on the back of his eyelids.

"But at the same time you are used to be alone and dealing with everything on your own." Sonia reminded him with more serious voice. A line appeared on between her eyebrows in place of fading smile on her mouth. "What I am trying to say is probably that" she clenched his hand harder to show that she's here. "you do not know how to respond to Hinata-san in such situation."

"Hmm."

"And I have this theory that you are to afraid of your feelings so you suppress them in order to not feel a thing." saying this Sonia released his hand, setting it back on her knee.

"Ahaha, I assure you that nothing like this is happening."

"Remember how you told us about cookies at the ship?" Komaeda's face took some colors as he was reminded of it, not to mention that Sonia could see the way his eyes lit up at this memory and fade in the next one. "You changed your look at Hinata-san the second you felt you do not stand a chance.

"No, that's-"

"You have always been denying your worth, even now." sadness simmered in blue eyes as they looked at Komaeda and at the same time past him. "I still vividly remember it from our school days. At this time you still were like that. "

"Because I don't see worth in someone like me." Komaeda didn't wanted to sound rude, but the next words floated out his mouth without control. "What could possibly a person that brings misery to others could offer to a world?"

"And what could offer a princess that almost destroyed her whole nation?" While one hand continued to scratch hamsters the other clenched fabric of her dress on a thigh. Everyone knew what was there - geometrical scars, where each line marked hanged civilian. Even driven by despair she had some sort of bends towards symmetry and decoration. "We all are the same. If Kuzuryuus are allowed to be happy and have children then so are we all."

"I know that."

"But you do not let it get to yourself." Sonia's voice got stronger as she locked her gaze on his face, trying to convey with it her message. "You denials that you may be happy."

"Are _you_ happy?" Komaeda snapped at her. "Looked away on island, two weeks from civilization, where nothing ever happens, pretending to atone for our sins while the only things we are doing is throwing one party after another." he got up on his legs and run away from a pool, for the first time not apologizing for his behavior.

"Komaeda-san!" Sonia called after him but her plea didn't seemed to reach him as he left her. Only wind responded, fluttering her dress and for short time revealing forest of white and pinkish lines on her skin.

 

~*~

 

On the other side of island Hinata had a serious talk with Mioda. A few years ago he would question how did he turned into dad for most, if not all, of his classmates. Today he simply rolled with it and was thankful when Hanamura didn't added any perverted comment. It's funny how life goes, right?

"Mioda, why do you have to push all of my buttons?"

"Hajime-chan" girl slupperd in her shoulder, trying to make herself as invisible as possible - which was impossible due to her style, colorful hair and makeup. "don't be angry on Ibuki. She just wanted Nagito-chan to relax with kids while she would train Ryota-chan." Mioda, not sure what was cooking up for her - and an exact reason behind it - fidgeted with her pointing fingers. "She wants him as a background dancer with Hiyoko-chan at the front. She has contract ready to sign down."

"That's not the reason I'm here."

"Ibuki didn't ate your secret stash of chocolate and add chiffon to our supply list."

"I knew about chiffon." Hinata sighted for who knows which time as the memory of stupidly long list recreated in his mind. He could perfectly well see untidy written  _Playguy, HotTube, PornPub_ with the oil fingerprints around (Souda and possibly Hanamura), warhead, crystal screens (just Souda this time. Hinata scratched first one), a feminine handwriting bamboo mannequin, two swords size 28, lolita dress (Peko, but he wasn't sure if dress was supposed to belong to her or her daughters), a graceful fuchsia high heels, drone, Beretta 92, M14 DMR (Sonia and why the hell she needs guns?!), soil, daffodils seeds, three rolls to the old camera (Koizumi, he let her slid this), childish letters creating twelve different branch of gummy bears ten packs each, three different kimonos and sandals (Saionji and just to make a point he scratched it all with red pen), RPK-74, another dress - this time red (this was Kuzuryuu and why is every gangster using Kalashnikov?! Hinata doesn't need a battle between him and Sonia), new set of knives and utensils (going after evidence of green fingerprints he things its Hanamura, but let him slid this time), two GamerBoy consoles (surprisingly, it's from Komaeda. He'll see what to do with that), a bunch of different oil for a massage (Nidai, he denied most of them) and lastly all sorts of fabrics in different colors each written down by different gel-pen but each one equally sparkling. Combining this with their regular list of needs paper was three and half in length. "Why you need eight met- Wait, YOU ate my chocolate?!"

"Ibuki's sorry~!"

"I yelled at Souda for no reason." a realization hid hard and while, yes, it was just Souda, Hinata still turned out to be an asshole now. He was so sure that these black spots were from oil not eyeliner. "Argh! Now I _have to_ apologize."

"Ibuki apologizes!"

"And to make it worse, you repeat Hanamura's words to Sonia." he reminded himself why he got here in the first place and dug even deeper hole to burry Mioda inside. While yes - he might or not play both teams, it doesn't mean he wants other people to scream about it. It's his business who he do in the bedroom and where!

"This one has reasons, Hajime-chan." forgetting her situation, Mioda let one of her elbows rest at Hinata's shoulder. "Kazuichi-chan told Ibuki that you have catalog with swimsuits in your bedside."  _Oh no_ Hinata thought as he remembered one of their worst bottle game on boys sleepover. He so wanted to murder Komaeda there.  _They told her. Now she'll write a song titled 'Hajime-chan likes to get off to busty Monica and muscular Jorge' or something like this. Just great._  "Not to mention that there is no such thing as straight guy and pool dance." to highlight it, she pointed at his nose. "Remember Harvest festival?" Yes, he indeed remembers Harvest festival, mostly because he and Sonia had to pull back everyone to their cottages after they passed out drunk on wine. Thanks to Nidai he couldn't walk for the next three days. And he wasn't the only one to dance on this stupid rope, mind you. In his defense - Souda started it and Hinata had one drink too much. Maybe two. 

"You're grounded..." that was Hinata's way of saying 'I'm taking your important stuff/prohibit you from doing something and force to work at the worst shift.'

"Haji-daddy, NO!"

"First - don't call me that." Hinata send her disappointing look, which she tried to overcome with hurtful expression. No, it doesn't works on him. Not any longer. But he isn't such a monster to not let her better herself. "Second - I'll give you back one of your guitars if you tell me one thing."

"Ibuki will do anything to get back Charlotte, Constantine, Veronica and Jacquelyn!"

_You gave names to Gibson SG Special, Rogue Rocketer RR50, Mitchell MD200 and Rogue RA-090?_

"How's Komaeda doing? He" Hinata scratched back of his neck, trying to come up with the best suitable words. He couldn't so he settled for ones from easier stock. "doesn't want to talk with me. I'm afraid what he can come up with." dingy memory of tied up corpse crossed Hinata's minds. "Like, he won't pull off again the...you know, simulation, but-"

"Oh!" Mioda's eyes widen with some sort of realization but it was a gleam that made Hinata uncomfortable. Just like a second before she would jump into his office, holding one of her BL manga screaming that he should do this with Komaeda, while he had important conversation with Naegi Makoto this very moment. Yes, that happened. "Hajime-chan is jealous of Ibuki!" girl twirled around on her toes, before she send him fingerguns, wink and playfully bitten tongue. "She's the annoying romance obstacle!"

"That's wrong!" Yes, Mioda again did this. Yes, she again made his face red. "I'm worried about him!"

"Well, he won't tell Ibuki." her playful grin disappeared. A tiny rock next to her feet became a victim as she tried to convey her thoughts into words. "He...he doesn't believe in her that much. Nagito-chan probably feels more lost than few years ago during his relationship with Ibuki."

"Yeah, thought so." Hinata again saw in his minds all awkwardness that Komaeda displayed when he told him about his agreement with Mioda. "He told me that you two were together to forget about the ones you loved. What kind of stupid coping mechanism is that?! Couldn't you" for a second he searched his brain to find the most suitable answer but there wasn't never any "SHSL Broken Heart Adviser" or other shit like this so he improvised. "simply get drunk and throw eggs at theirs window?! Like a normal human being?"

"Ibuki isn't this kind of a girl." Mioda crossed her arms, mischievous smile on her face. Hinata knew this smile - the same way Lord Chirchirp looked as a kitten before she would jump at the table and push down a plate. "Not to mention that she didn't expected dad to suggest such vandalism."

"For the last time-"

"Ah! Ibuki has an idea!" not letting herself be stopped by anything, she shook with Hinata's shoulders, playfulness gleaming in her eyes. "What if she send you two on a date!

"...What?"

"You both be able to spend some time talking! Ibuki will make sure to not let anyone disturb!"

"If by some divine powers you'll do that" Hinata delicately pried her hands off. "I'll give you two guitars back." His left arm shoot up - pointing in direction of the Central Island. "Now go to the kitchen and rub all the dishes clean."

"But there's a mountain in the sink!" Mioda opposed waving widely with her arms.

"Y'now, we have many people here." Hinata squinted his eyes as his voice got low and more powerful. "And all of this people eat."

"Uhum~" her only response was a hum of hurt puppy and silent singing. " _Ain't No Mountain High Enough_ ~" 

"More like _From The High Mountain,_ now shove."

 

~*~

 

It was evening when Sai heard tapping at his window. He let his iron down, stopping his attempt at getting rid of wrinkles from the white suit, and opened window for the hand in finger-less, elbow-length glove with pattern of yellow and green stripes. You didn't need genius to know who it was.

"Saisai-chan!' Mioda stood up and pulled one leg over window frame, entering his cottage without permission. "Ibuki needs your help!"

"I assumed so." Impostor send grumpy look at the girl, this time with both of her feet in his living area. "You call me 'Saisai-chan' only when you have business with me."

"Would you and Mahiru-chan took over some of Hajime-chan's assignments?" Mioda clasped both of her hands like if she was praying. "Mahiru-chan organise our days but she consults them with you."

"Huh?" Impostor lifted his eyebrows, suddenly lost. He expected a bet, bargain, juicy gossip which he would use for the next bet but not ask for a favor.

"Ibuki needs some of his day off to prepare office for him and Nagito-chan."

"You mean...for them to talk about Komaeda's..." he didn't add a word, just pointed at his head. If he had any problems with coming up the reasons for her behavior it became clear now. Hinata and Komaeda have to go through this conversation and there was no cheat program to skip it. And Hinata was too good guy to ask for a day off for such a reason.

"Yeah, this too." Mioda nodded once in answer.

"I promise nothing but I'll do anything in my power to convince Koizumi." grimace showed up on his face as his brain provided him with scenarios of future banter. "I must admit, it's strange to ask Koizumi - Hinata's ex girlfriend - to let him off for few days, so he could talk it over with Komaeda - his almost boyfriend."

"Yeah, Ibuki knows." She crossed arms over her chest, tilting head to the side as she leaned against window sill." It's frustrating to no-end to hear this 'almost' there..."

"Mioda, I always meant to ask you this" girl turned his way, curiously tilting head to the other side. "Why do you push these two so much at each other? I get there's tension between them but...why?"

"Why?" Mioda blinked in shock, as if she couldn't comprehend that people wouldn't understand this. "Because Ibuki is the happiest when people around her smile from the bottom of their hearts!" in one swift move she jumped out the window. "And Nagito-chan does such only next to Hajime-chan!"

 _And, maybe just by a tiny bit, because she know that he has a chance that Ibuki never had. And if he grasp it - it'll kinda be like rewriting Ibuki's story with better ending._  A bitter giggle escaped her mouth. _Till the bone Ibuki is selfish girl._

"Now" Mioda looked left and right, trying to find few people more she needed to complete her mission. It was still bright, at least for her, so she still had a chance to catch them outside their cottage - doing some errands, work for the island or engaging in hobbies. "Time to find rest of the pieces! _Mission: Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Start_!"

"That's a missed opportunity to say  _Love-Love Hunters,_ Mioda-san." said voice behind her back, making girl jump few feets up. "I should feel personally attacked."

"Ryota-chan!" Mioda turned on her hell to look at the worn out boy. Judging by feathers in his hair he would either search for new style or be tossed around by Tanaka's zoo. She hoped for the first one - blue feathers would look great on him. "You almost gave Ibuki heart attack that wasn't heart throbbing at all!"

"Um, what?"

"Ibuki is on a secret mission! Should she success, Hajime-chan will give her back her guitars!" she clenched both of her fist and shout to the sky. "I'm going for you Charlotte, Veronica, Jacquelyn and Constantine!"

"Ehmm, what can I say? Good luck?" he cringed for a moment, looking to the side in general direction of neighboring cottage. "For that you entered one too early."

"Ibuki doesn't want to get too close to Nagito-chan. At least for now." she hugged her sides as if shiver of cold run through her body. "He's all black, depressing aura now and Ibuki doesn't want to catch depressing thoughts."

"Yeah, I noticed at dinner." Mitarai pulled on of feathers out of his hair, wincing while doing so. "He was strangely silent, yet smiling as he played with salad. He never plays with greens. Except for bean."

"Is Ryota-chan crushing on Nagito-chan?" her mischievous laugh pulled back all Mitarai's attention. "What even is it then?" she pulled out her hand started counting on her fingers. "One, two, three, four, FIVE! Love pentagon!"

"I...I don't know about you, but I don't like guys..."

"So it's love square! Wait! How it's going to work if Ibuki isn't after Mahiru-chan?!"

"I will never watch any harem with you." muttered under his breath Mitarai, hoping to not be heard, clearly forgetting who stood in front of him.

"Good. Ibuki doesn't like looking at bunch of girls going after Makoto-chan cardboard cut!"

"W-What-?!"

"Have you seen Sonia-chan? Ibuki needs to discuss one thing with her!"

"Shooting range."

"Got ya! Thanks, Ryota-chan!" she patted his shoulder, letting free more of the feathers. "Ibuki has new idea for the next performance. Wait for it!"

And with those word she left Mitarai hanging, running and jumping in general direction of their sports hall, previously in the game called old building. Mitarai only rolled with his eyes before turning right to his cottage. He needed shower and comb more than anything and apparently two people who knew most about hair care decided to hang out in attempt of turning No.6 real. Just great.

"That's why I don't like fujoshis."

 

~*~

 

When Mioda opened doors to the old building, which they rebuilt into gym for their athletes, she was greeted by blue paint splashing on the glass surface. Behind it Sonia, with paintball gun, jumped from one place to the other shooting at mannequins with her golden hair tied into ponytail fluttering behind. Somehow she had on herself soldier uniform - tight khaki trousers and black t-shirt. Mercilessly, one after another dummies were shoot down from different angles with different paint color. It didn't matter that they were moving.

"Sonia-chan!" Mioda knocked at the glass. Princess stopped to look at her and her stern face got replaced with a smile.

"Good evening, Mioda-san." Sonia said as she closed behind her glass door. "What may be the reason of your arrival?"

"Sonia-chan, help Ibuki set Hajime-chan with Nagito-chan on a date!"

"So we are playing a role of supporting friends, that accept others people preferences for lovers?" Mioda eagerly nodded with her head, making her skull pins clatter with every move. Sonia gracefully put hand on her sternum like during making oath. "Komaeda-san for sure needs someone to talk with and that person is not one of us. I realized it this afternoon. Count me in!"

"Yay!" Mioda hugged taller girl, almost suffocating herself in Sonia's arm that smelled like coconut and paint. She pulled away, stretching her neck back to look into eyes of her friend, almost jumping from excitement in one place. "Ibuki plans on closing them inside Hajime-chan's office, and _not_ let out, until they die or make out!"

"As much as I am content of this plan, how are we going to accomplish that?"

"Ibuki wished that Sonia-chan would know." Mioda pushed against eachother her pointing fingers while pouting. "Her brain stopped after she get a name for the mission."

"Oh my. We have then plan everything from the begging." Sonia send one sad glance back at her training grounds. "I can only wish that it was enough to prepare myself for upcoming paintball match."

"Sonia-chan for sure'll win!" iconic fingerguns and wink was send toward Sonia with a giggle. "There's, like, no way! To beat her in shooting!" Mioda dramatically pointed at the leftovers of her friend training. "It looks like a scene from a yakuza movie but more blue, yellow, green and purple!"

"That is what worries me the most." Sonia tilted her head with a worried smile. "Kuzuryuu-san is a yakuza member, so he will probably be a tough opponent. Not to mention that Souda-san have a secret blueprints for his secret weapon for a tournament." she sighted putting one hand to her chin. "We are indeed lucky to have Hinata-san as a referee and not a participant."

"Use Ibuki as your human shield and everything will be alright!"

"This I can do not. It is out of question for a ruler to use alive comrades as shields."

"Then shoot down Nekomaru-chan and use him as a shield!"

"This is actually not a bad plan." reassuring smile graced porcelain face of Sonia. "But first, let's prepare our plan before I will come up with my battle idea."

"Yeah!" Mioda yelled into the sky with both of her fists clenched next to her face. This time she for sure get what she want.

"Would you like to discuss it with a company of strawberry cheesecake and cup of tea?"

"Totally!" not to mention that she'll be able to eat some sweets with cute blond girl. Did she just die and went to heaven?!

 

~*~

 

"First of all" Sonia took in her hand white cup decorated with one, gold line and saucer in the other. "We have to make sure what are we trying to accomplish."

"Make Hajime-chan and Nagito-chan talk over." said Mioda, taking in her hand plate with slice of cake and tiny fork in the other. "Hajime-chan wants to talk over everything with Nagito-chan, but Nagito-chan plays hard to get and runs away unless Ibuki, Kazuichi-chan and Fuyuhiko-chan holds him down." sitting on top strawberry got pinned on the fork to meet its end inside Mioda's mouth. "Nagito-chan, what a problematic seme. you are"

"I assure you that he is truly an uke, Mioda-san" stated firmly Sonia taking a sip of tea. If it wasn't for the sake of mission both of them would already be at eachother's throats, simply because both were sure that the other is wrong. But they also were sure that it wasn't time for a rebuttal showdown.

"Ibuki will back-route from this and pretend she didn't heard it." she pointed with her fork at the Sonia. "In exchange she can tell that Sai-chan is already on ours side."

"Hmmm" Mioda wasn't sure if that was praise or simply a sound that Sonia would make drinking tea. "I must say I am proud of your decision to use him."

_Man, she kinda sound like this bad guys from Sailor Moon. Ryota-chan would say 'all according to the plan' or something like that._

"Ibuki didn't wanted to involve Mahiru-chan, cuz it would be awkward and uncomfortable for her." another forkful of cake ended in her mouth. "Sys nof fuite liche tach" she said holding fork between teeth.

"Then, to not make Koizumi-san more uncomfortable, I suggest to make our day zero in five days forward."

"Hmm?" Mioda tillted her head in a silent way of asking 'why?'.

"Hinata-san is going to have video conference with Naegi-san." Sonia's eyes darted out the window atone of their radio station antenna. "I am 100% sure that he will not miss that."

"Yeah, Hajime-chan loves to argue with Makoto-chan and later with Nagito-chan, because he wasn't allowed to be in the room." some old memory run through Mioda's mind, reminding her of an old banter between boys. "Or because Hajime-chan said something he didn't liked."

"Which will be even more easier to convince him to get inside."

"But Hajime-chan won't let him in. Jeez!" Mioda yelled in frustration, sending her hands in the air. "Why is it so hard to make two characters get together!"

"We'll wait for the last minutes of transmission." Sonia simply stated, taking another sip of tea. "Hinata-san would allow him to participate in the last minutes."

"Ibuki isn't so sure, but okay!" Mioda crossed her arms with playful grin on lips. "Whatever Sonia-chan says."

"Ah! But then how we will convince Komaeda to go there?" Sonia pondered scratching her chin. As much as he would like to be a part of it, he knows that he's presence is not wanted and withdraws back." she closed her eyes for a second, contemplating many different routes until she opened them with a tired look. "It is a problem. And how we will keep them for so long?"

"Why don't we make then a breakdown of transmission then? Ibuki remembers how her concert was once aborted because of one."

"For that we need a person to take down system A.I.-"

"Hajime 3.2?"

"Why such numbers?"

"Third version of Alter-chan, second virtual of Hajime-chan."

"Oh, that makes so much sense!" Sonia admitted clasping her hands before getting serious again. "But yes, we need someone to take care of Hinata 3.2 and person to keep malfunction going as long as we need that."

"Ibuki votes Kazuichi-chan for the second!"

"Yes, Souda-san would be sufficient to malfunction office door and windows as well as power back up." Sonia nodded with agreement only for worry creep on her face. "Who are we going to ask for the first thing thou?"

"Hmm? Who chose, who chose?" Mioda wiggled from side to side, as she tried to come up with possible candidate. She finally flicked with her fingers when a wonderful idea upon on her. "Maybe we can ask someone at random and see what we'll see? Counting that Nagito-chan's luck help?"

"May I remind you that his luck is no longer so powerful since he got closer to Hinata-san."

"Yeah, Ibuki remembers it fondly." clasped together hands caressed Mioda's right cheek. "So romantic~"

"I'm not sure if its helpful or problematic in a whole new way that neither of us is aware of." ignoring her accomplice behavior stated Sonia looking at her little library, in hope of some sort of answer or hint.

"It always will be second."

"You think so, Ryota-chan?" Mioda mindlessly asked before jumping in place, snapping her head toward person bend over the frame of Sonia's open window."Ryota-chan?!"

"Sai asked to look at what you two are planning." petite guy answered not yet asked question. "And if you want I may try to take down our A.I. I always wanted to try this sort of visual novel mechanic."

"That's messenger send by Nagito-chan's luck!"

"Why do think you will be suitable for such mission?" Sonia asked as if she was questioning her soldier to go to the enemy camp.

"U-Um, well..." Mitarai fidgeted, looking around to find the best way to escape but since he already volunteered it was impossible to step down now. "I sort of have the biggest computer knowledge here. A-And informations about how alter egos function from back there. I think I would be capable for keeping it occupied for...well, for short time."

"Good." Sonia praised him, making him grow bigger and straighten his back. "We need people exactly like you. Mitarai Ryota-san, you passed."

"T-Thank you!" he wasn't sure why he was saying this but it seemed appropriate. Sonia on the other hand was happy from being able to better morale and recruit another ally. Maybe her knowledge of ruler wasn't as rusty as she was afraid.

"It only leaves Komaeda-san for now." three people sighted with tiredness.

"Ibuki didn't do a thing and she's already tired."

"I know what you mean, Mioda-san." Sonia nodded with her head.

"This guy is...a whole new definition of 'hard mode'." added Mitarai.

"If it was otome game his route would be full of bad ends and stupid decisions that do not make sense." Sonia mumbled under her breath, making Mioda giggle and Mitarai lost. "Yet we still need to come up with resolution to this part of plan."

"Mioda-san" Mitarai tilted his head when a stroke of realization hit him. "how did Komaeda knew that we discussed his illness?"

"How did you know that?!"

"Sai told me. Also, remember how... _someone_ , pulled out a walkie-talkie at the breakfast?" no matter how many years passed, Mitarai still struggled with calling Hinata by his name. It saddened inhabitants of Island but no one tried push him into doing thing that would be uncomfortable.

"Yeah, he has a bad habit of eavesdropping." Mioda nodded in agreement. She was the first to witness this afterall.

"Propose to him double eavesdropping. He simply agree to help and be a part of group. Also, Naegi Makoto."

"Ryota-chan, that's actually-"

"Mitarai-san." Sonia stood up and walked over to Mitarai. The boy flustered, afraid that what he just said was stupid and their princess will scold him. Quiet different, she clasped his clenched fists into her soft hands and smiled. "This idea sure seams plausible. I would really like to use it."

"I-It's nothing. I'm happy that I could help." he darted with his eyes to the side, too shy to look straight at the brightness that was Sonia Nevermind.

 

~*~

 

"How did it go?" Sai asked as soon as he heard doors opening. Mitarai with red face and purple lipstick on his left cheek stood there, at lost of what he was part of.

"Sonia-san and Mioda-san planning for Komaeda-san to pull Kaworu, even if he's more suitable to get into the robot." answered Mitarai, still not fully back at his mind. Princess charm wasn't something that one would dismiss with ease.

"When?"

"Five days from now. Can I borrow some removal from you?" bony finger pointed at his cheek. "Mioda-san's lipstick won't go off."

"Go on." Sai gestured to his bathroom." Check cabinet under sink."

"Thanks." Mitarai walked inside. Soon sounds of rummaging through various cosmetics and make up kits filled room. "Do you seriously need so many of them?"

"You never know what may come in handy." simply answered his friend, writing down a memo. "Also, I feel bad when I doesn't have characterization on."

Heavy silent fell upon them upon the last words. Mitarai knew how it looked for his friend, or at least he hoped that he knew. Characterization was what allowed him to be "him" and without it he felt lost. It didn't matter that there was no need for him to do so, but after so many years it would be logical to fell out of place without that. He still was dressing up as other people to cope up.

"Do you think that they'll succeed?" Sai finally asked. "You know, I have a bunch bets stating that it won't happen before they'll be forty and one for around thirties." he squinted his eyes to get a better look at the names of participants. "Okay, forget that. This one was Souda's. He never wins bets."

 

~*~

 

Gentle, warm wind caressed green grass and tendrils of white hair that belonged to Komaeda. Since his outburst at Sonia he hid himself on the fourth island, close to the waterfall. From this place he could see Ferris wheel of their amusement park and bits of rollercoaster. He liked this place for being silent and providing him with possibility of isolation from the rest of his classmates. He loved them all, that's true but they were too much for him sometimes. When such felling would strike him, he would always hide here. The only people to came here were Owari and Nidai during morning jog and Tanaka's animals.

"Ah~ That wasn't a reasonable behavior. Hinata-kun will be mad when he found out. I should apologize to Sonia-san." Some of his hair covered his eyes, obscuring the view. "I wonder if Mioda-san would cut my hair. It gets kind of irritating." Komaeda fished out an old elastic from his trousers pocket and a messy ponytail showed on his head. He wasn't the biggest fan of attached there decoration of cherries with angry faces painted with white paint but it was best he could do for now. "But I know I was speaking truth. It is boring here. Nothing really happens here. I want to see how the land is changing."

_Pikyuu_

"Huh?" black squirrel with a lot bigger paws than he was used to look at when he was kid approached him and after a second of hesitance jumped on his knee. "Are you one of Tanaka-san's animal?" rodent didn't answer that, only tilted its fluffy head to the side. "I'm sure he would fell much better on the land, researching ecosystem. All of us would. Tsumiki-san would run some sort of medical facility, Mioda-san would spread hope with her music, Koizumi-san would be a reporter and show how despair looked from the inside...Ah, I started to ramble again, sorry."

Squirrel still didn't answer to this too, just jumped at his head and balled up in his hair only to start snoozing soon. Komaeda only sighted as his eyes drifted to the sky and clouds there. He had a strange feeling that rain season was approaching them.

"I suppose I never was good with girls. What would a person like me possibly have that they would like? Well, it's not like I have that much of a experience." in the last second he stopped from tilting his head, remembering that a squirrel is still there. "I was with Mioda-san, and it wasn't a real thing but we still are friends. Before that was Monaca, but it was more of...siblings relationship? I'm not personally sure. Enoshima Junko was simply a concept, much like Nanami-san. Yukizome-sensei was my teacher and she probably genuinely cared about me. Before that...this girl in six grade. What was her name? Rie-chan? Ru-chan? And my Mother." Komaeda gulped down as the picture of his Mother danced behind his eyelids. She would be so disappointed because of the way he acted. A sight escaped his mouth only to morph into a giggle in the next moment. "Well, not like I have better experience with boys." Squirrel on his head moved, trying to find more comfortable position. "The only person that I ever truly cared for was Hinata-kun, that much is true. Also Naegi Makoto, as saviour of this word we all cherish him deeply. And dad but that was long time ago." for a second he was sure that he would tear up but nothing like this happen. He still fell strangely dull while thinking about him. "It was Hinata who allowed...it were Hinatas who allowed me a possibility to be here today." he squinted his eyes as some of sunlight shone through leaves. Even the world decided to rub it into his face. "Maybe I truly don't want Hinata-kun to be a part of it, no matter which one. Ah, Nagito you are an awful excuse for a person. Not only you yelled at kind and always polite Sonia-san when she saw through you but also didn't realized that she was telling truth until you talked it over with the squirrel." a hand of flesh scratched with delicacy black fur. All animals of Tanaka were more than eager to receive affection of people, with some exception being made for twins, Peko, Souda, Saionji and Hinata. "It's impressive how much an ex-genocide princess is capable of when she'll made up her mind. I can only hope that she'll forgive me for my earlier behavior."

_I should also find Tanaka-kun and give him back this rodent. I'm sure that he's afraid of its whereabouts and well-being. If I'm lucky enough then Sonia-san will be with him._

With this thought and black squirrel on his head, Komaeda run to the docks to reach his boat. A girl like Sonia shouldn't be kept waiting for an apology. Even if those are apologies from someone who only brings misery to others and themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cyrillic - I'm not trying to offend any Russian here, it's just I don't get your alphabet. You really wanted to hide secrets from the other nations, huh?  
> * to all of you no-believers, yes - hamsters can swim. My cousin installed a tiny pool for her hamster back in days and let me just say that it was amusing to watch this pet swimming.  
> *sexuality - I don't know about you but for me all protagonists are bi, no question asked. But Ibuki is true lesbian while Komaeda is bi but with preferences for boys. We all know that he's truly hopesexual but let's be honest - this guy would make out with anyone as long as they would symbolize hope.  
> *I like the idea of Mioda giving names to all her guitars, don't question me on that  
> *We know from the game that Mioda makes references to music and from anime that Mitarai is anime nerd. I like to think that once he felt comfortable around people he goes wild and adds as much anime reference as he can.  
> *Komaeda's elastic - yes, Mioda gave him those. Don't question her taste.  
> *Pikyuu - I have no idea what sounds squirrels make so I stole this one from Akayona, don't judge
> 
> Oh, look, I'm not dead (except from inside*laugh that soon changes into ugly sobbing*). I had a rough time at uni and with my new job but I slowly get a grip of it. I'll try to update it more often than once every four months (ups). The same goes for AToRDaEM (this other fic, man I need to come up with a better nickname for that.)
> 
> See you next chapter!  
> Not going into too much rambling, enjoy the shit out of this chapter

**Author's Note:**

> It's my first time posting anything on internet (not to mention in English) and I'm sorry for every, especially grama, mistake you'll find. If you see any of them, tell me please.
> 
> And I hope you understand what I wanted to write *blush*


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